The bike Nige did not know he wanted.
It was the 21st of June 2026, Em and Nige were the ‘broom wagon’ for the Longest Day Challenge, from Dunoon to John O Groats. Sadly, a competitor came off his bike, and Nige went to collect it and take it to Inverness Motorcycle Tours.
As is often the case in the motorcycle community, an affection for a particular machine develops through exposure and familiarity. Nige had never been particularly interested in Hondas, having only owned an XR8X, a 50cc scooter during his teenage years, and later a VFR800 from the Honda lineup. It did not take him or Em long to form a love for the plucky CBR600. The following day, after making sure the rider was ok, Em and Nige returned home.
Since we were local to several riders, we offered a lift, and one person took us up on it. I won’t mention his name, but as is often the case with the LDC, he’s quite well known., Northern Motovlog they accompanied us on the journey home, and it was revealed that they were well acquainted with the owner of the CBR, whose name is Ted. During the six-hour journey home, an agreement was unexpectedly reached for me to purchase the motorcycle from Ted. Consequently, the CBR has since been endearingly christened “Little Ted.” Given that Ted resides in Devon, undertaking a trip to Inverness to collect the bike would have been a considerable challenge. Nevertheless, Dan and I managed to complete the journey within a single day, and Little Ted is now securely in the workshop.
The accident resulted in some damage, primarily affecting the indicator, mirror, and screen, along with a crack in the fairing. However, these issues did not cause me any significant concern.
A brief search on eBay yielded the necessary fairings, along with replacement mirrors, indicators, and a screen. The only aspect detracting from the overall condition of the bike was a dented exhaust. In the spirit of keeping you in delightful suspense, we’re saving the juiciest tidbits and eyebrow-raising revelations for the next blog post, where all will be unveiled regarding the exhaust with the flair of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat—minus the rabbit, but possibly with more drama.
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