Ta Bruv...

...far, far, from rideable. Because, although the styling and technology of ZXR400's have aged well, this particular bike had seen better days. My knowledge of this bikes history goes back a few years, but this may be a far from accurate retelling, but it goes something like this.

The bike was owned by a friend of my brothers named Rob - who had not long purchased it from a friend of his. I believe at this point there was nothing too wrong with it. There is some minor crash damage, which I presume dates from pre-Rob, but otherwise it was a reasonably sound machine. At some point during his ownership it stopped and stubbornly refused to start again. At this point, aided by my brother Greg, he decided to make some alterations to the stricken ZXR.

Now most peoples first plan of action in a situation like this would be to get the engine running.
However, for reasons known only to themselves, Greg and Rob (I am guessing, mostly Rob) set out on a bizarre plan of removing and discarding parts of the bike deemed unnecessary, trifling parts such as indicators, mirrors and rear footpegs were disposed of never to be seen again (I can only guess it was some attempt to give the bike a more race orientated feel). Tyres were set about in a murderous fashion and various nut, bolts, fluids, piping where unexplainably removed. Looking at the bike, it was as if half a dozen mechanics had simultaneously started on their own little bit and then gone of for a nice cup of tea and never come back... In a similar fashion Rob had obviously decided by this point that he had done more than enough damage and sold the remains to Greg for £500.

My brothers intention was to carry on from where Rob left off, but faced with a task that brutal, he did what any sane brother would do - think very hard about it for a long time and then give away, free, to his little brother - me.