Do you specialize or are you a generalist?

[Michael Moore]

Since I started with bikes in the very late 1960s I've had some from about 15 or so different brands:

Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Hodaka
Moto Guzzi, Ducati, Motobi
Bultaco, Maico
Greeves, Matchless, BSA, Triumph, Norton, Rickman, CCM/Armstrong/CanAm

There have been both 2T and 4T bikes.  I would probably have had more marques if there had been more money/storage space to accommodate them.

I started off MXing, then added trials, then road racing (with one "let's not do this again" dirttrack on a banked 3/8 mile oval).

There are a lot of different cool/weird motorcycles out there.  I've been to the Mostra Scambio at Imola and if I'd had the money I could have easily filled up several containers with interesting odd-ball bikes.

On the other hand, I know people who don't seem to have any interest in having anything that isn't from their favorite marque, and some of them don't want anything but one specific model/family of bikes within that marque.

I must admit that there are times when I find myself wishing that I was one of those types of people.

Say for instance I couldn't be bothered with anything but a Bultaco.  I could have a Metralla/TSS for vintage RR, a Sherpa T for vintage trials, a Pursang for VMX (and PVMX too), an Astro for dirt track (if I could bring myself to try it again) and a Matador or Frontera for vinduro.  I wouldn't need a minimum of 15 different sets of special tools and manuals (probably more if I had a mix of models within a given marque) and I'd probably be able to stock a small assortment of bearings and gaskets that would fit most everything.

There are other marques that would encompass a multitude of areas of the sport e.g. Ossa (Pioneer, Plonker,TT/DMR, Phantom, Wildfire), BSA (Goldies or unit singles in scrambles/trials/RR, dirt track or street trim) etc etc.  So many of the old bikes were sufficiently generalist in nature that you could convert them to most any of the different areas of the sport.

In what camp do the rest of you fall, or are you in the middle with 2-3 favorites?

cheers,
Michael

[shelpi]

Im a generalist me mate is only honda XR RD/RE

[80-85 husky]

I a specialist generalist 80 - 86 enduro bikes.... luv em! just when bikes were really becoming specialised and good to ride!

[Nathan S]

What category I'm in, varies depending on when you ask. But probably "in the middle".

I am a brand tart, but seem to gravitate toward Yamahas and Kawasakis. And away from Suzukis.
I am an era tart, although I seem to default pre-95 when I just buy stuff on a whim.
I do MXers and enduro bikes about equally - my interest wanes as they get more road-oriented (I have zero useful interest in road bikes, even though I think a lot of them are cool).

Having a stockpile of one brand is easy, but it gets boring quickly. Now, I just buy bikes that I like the idea of. I keep the ones that I like.

[kdx 175]

i can only aford to keep  one dirt bike runing have 3 dirt 2 road all between 81/85

[pokey]

Specialize
Ive had many brands models and capacities all have some memorable quality. Perhaps senility is creeping in but I don't care at all. An educated decision lead me back to humble underated bike of my youth. I can ride it all day instead of fighting it. Its lighter than most and reliable, with a few tweaks have been known to be at the pointy end. Now I only need spares for one model and it suits my non existent budget and me very well
 Pre75 suzuki TS185

Its one of those bikes that fell between the gaps.
Its not prestigious and plenty of bikes can do things better. Just dont think of them as a trail bike as one may on the right track just be cheeky enough to wonder whats that annoying thing on my tail.

Crazy stupid or brilliant im not sure but its a hell of a lot of fun.

[80-85 husky]

I borrowed a mates ts 185 (silver tank) and rode all over the "Pink Cliffs" at Heathcote (when you could) until I failed on one small climb and did the reverse roll and high side and the domed nut on the rear shocker "rolled" over my ankle..pain city . being a ts 125 rider, I loved that motor for the extra grunt..... sounds funny today...grunt from a ts 185......

[frostype400]

Thinned my stuff so I am only a generalist I can appreciate any makes but if offered a choice I am always picking Suzuki.
 
Same with cars I like a lot but there is only certain makes I'd actually buy there is no point having something in the shed because someone else likes it.

[farmer58za]

Umm.....
With me it's an emotion thing. I have been fortunate enough to re-collect a lot of bikes that I wanted or owned in my youth. Plus, I'm a sucker for "lost cause" models, prototypes, specials, bikes with wierd engineering and Spanish bikes.

Right now I have
4 Kawasakis, 2 Suzukis, 1 Husqvarna, 1 Yamaha, 1 Greeves, 4 Montesas, 1 Bultaco, 2 Rokons, 2 BSA's, 1 Triumph, 1 Cheetah/Villiers, 1 Can-Am, 1 Bridgestone, 1 Greeves . Oh yes and 1 Honda.

Regards
David

[Michael Moore]

pokey, my first new motorcycle was a TS185R that I got in the summer between high school and university when I worked at a Suzuki/BMW/Triumph dealership.  I did my first MX and trials on it.  It seemed to me to be the obvious choice -- more power (especially down low) than the 125 but not as heavy and bulky as the TS250.

IIRC my progression was Suzuki, Suzuki, Suzuki, Maico, Matchless, Suzuki, Bultaco, Hodaka, Ducati, Greeves, Yamaha, Honda, more Ducatis, Honda, Laverdas, Ducati, Kawasaki, various Guzzis, Motobis, Hodaka, Rickman Zundapp, Hondas, Suzuki, Bultaco, Suzuki, several Yamahas and no doubt I've missed a few.  When I get interested in a particular bike I often go on a buying spree accumulating spares for "just in case" and that often gives me enough for another 1-1.5 bikes.

I think I can honestly say that in most cases my riding experience was not significantly impacted by the new/different bike, but rather that I was buying them because they had some appealing feature (and almost invariably several unappealing features) or historical background.  If true, then I'd probably have done a lot more riding if I'd just stuck with a couple versions of one model and not kept starting over (and over and over and over) from square one with a new set of tools/parts/knowledge.

Owning a lot of different marques does give one a lot more options on buying m/c shirts.   

cheers,
Michael

[Slakewell]

I just collect what feels good at the time. I have owned too many bikes to count but at one time loved them all. I have a soft spot right now for 77 KTM's and I need to buy a 80/81 KTM 390.
Currently in the shed
Two KTM's
0ne YZ Yamaha
One Husky
One Suzuki/Honda

[firko]

I started in this sport in 1986 as a Maico specialist but a touch of boredom with the 'same old, same old' led to a slight deviation in the early 90's to first, a Champion framed XL350 and then a tricked out DT1 Yamaha which slowly opened the door to my current 'specialisations/obsessions', custom framed bikes and a mini fixation on  DT1 and RT1 Yamahas. Those two specializations come together with my four craftsman built,nickel framed DT1/RT1 derivatives....Cheney RT1, two Hindalls, one yz250a engined, the other RT2MX powered and a Cycle Factory framed RT2MX dirt tracker.  While all of this is happening I've also returned to my first love of Maicos but with a different slant. First there's the Maico 360 oval barrel Metisse project, then the resto of a rare as rocking horse shit Maico KR250 factory dirt tracker.

The previous paragraph maps out my specialisations but along with them there's the generalist/loose cannon stuff....a Shell 750 Yamaha dirt tracker, Hindall 250 Ducati pre 65 rebuild, a TriBSA pre 60 motocrosser project, a Fasttrack framed TM250 Suzuki dirt tracker, Tom Cates rigid framed CB77 305 Honda dirt tracker, a 650 Triumph pre 65 / street desert sled project and my IT250 J vinduro build. And then there's the cars.......

[matcho mick]

i specialize in anything thats running atm,(usually the night before  ),

[Tim754]

Specialized in what took my interest (and could afford!!) at the time.

So few diamonds so many dungers.....

[Mike52]

I'll own/ride any bike that I can get my hands on and luv em all