Me too. It was 1986, I needed wheels and the MTX125R was there in the shop.. a love affair was born.

Shifting forward a bit to May 2008, I needed some brake pads for my TTR600RE, saw the British Racing Gold Tenere sitting there in the showroom. Today the same bike is carrying me around.

...for those with rose-tinted spectacles! ;)

My 660 story
 

Funny how your taste in bike changes throughout your life, I'm up to about # 30 now at 57.
My last bike was (should say tractor) FLHTUC before a bikeless garage for 6yrs, I was at a bit of a loose end.
Then in 2012 I went to assist my 26yr old son & a couple of his mates compete in the Finke Desert Race. What a blast during the whole event. Within a month I had a WR450F in the shed. Bl@@dy hell, was I out of riding shape & skills.
Anyway after improving my fitness levels & riding skills, the limits of single tracks & the drudgery of the load /unload cycle for a ride wore off.
Early 2014, I was getting keen again, watching the "Longway Down" & Dakar on the tube, the idea of combining the two styles of bike, aimed me towards the adventure bike market.
An aquaintence had a 20 yr old DR650 for sale for $2500 with a heap of goodies, so the deal was done. Fun but just a 2 wheel version of a diesel hilux, pretty bullet proof though the excitement & look factor, was fairly well down the scale.
By mid 2014, I was working away, 11 days on, 3 off Riding the DR back & forth 240ks each way. Near home, I'd pass this XTZ660 sitting out the front of the local dealer. It'd been there for months, so I had a look one evening. 9200ks on the clock, appeared real good, so I took it for a test ride & liked it straight away. The killer was, it had my name on it, RUS-80. (rego plate)
Two years gone by now, been away on a plenty of rides, even use it as a commuter to work. If I have time, I go the long way via the scrub.
Overall, it does everything well without the hefty price tag of the Euro stuff. I'll keep mine for the rest of my riding days.

Embarassingly, the first time I saw a Tenere (a blue one just like mine) in the dealer I walked straight past it without giving it a second glance. I was disappointed that they had no WRs or YZs. I was lucky enough to grow up in Cape Town and we had fantastic off-road areas to ride (then). I still think a light two stroke for jumping lilly-white dunes next to the sea in winter is the ultimate high. But you then start thinking about how you use your bike (and where), and this is a big influence in your choice. My Tenere has surprised me on so many occasions and its versatility and reliability is its strong point. This combined with wanting to travel makes the Tenere and easy choice.

Not quite sure my Tenere is cut out for the same. These were happy days.
http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/...psmlkny6za.jpg
Dunes at Overberg, Southern Cape.

Wow Jacques - impressive. Is that really you getting airborne on an IT250!

Yes, thats me (about 1983). This was my second IT250. Sadly very few photos from back then, too busy riding (as it should be). We had a strip of 5 miles of beach and dunes and usually not seeing another person all day. It was such great fun trying to catch each other in the dunes. Lovely just after rain when the sand has lots of traction and you don't dig in as much.

That is a brilliant photo Jacque. . and explains why you whizzed up Chalkpit lane in no time at all! . Steve

Steve , we should arrange a ride over jacques way.. meet up for a coffee and bike talk!..

For sure. Hampshire rules