Are you an original owner?

[Brian Moffet]

So the question begins  ;D

[Walt_M.]

Am I the longest, original purchase May 23, 1983?

[Brian Moffet]

Longer than me, April 86.

Brian

[82dasvision]

March '82!!  And boy did I pay a lot for it!   ;D

[motoracer8]

2nd owner, 7/86

[VK]

Original owner of an 82 Vision that I purchased in August, 1985.  VK

[h2olawyer]

Bought my 82 new in June of 84.  Evan still have the original warranty paperork, loan documentation (including early payoff).  Used the certificate for ordering the buckle, though.  By the time I got mine, the 82s were going for $1399.  I also have a V I bought in April of 2007 (Tractor), and a parts bike I bought from ProfessorRex back in '06 which is now entirely dismantled & the engine is in kwells' second V.

A friend of mine & I each bought new Vs at the same time.  Mine - silver.  His - black.  He was 3 months from joining the Marines & wrecked it 2 months after buying it.   :'(  (not injured)  He was later in the Marine Barracks in Beiruit when the idiot drove the truck bomb through the security gates. & blew the place up.  He survived with just a concussion, and decided to spend the rest of his tour as an embassy guard in safer locales.  The next time I saw him, he would jump and grab any nearby solid object whenever he heard a loud noise, like thunder.  (no surprise)  Haven't seen him for years, but I'd bet a year's pay that he's doing covert work in the middle east.  He could fit in almost anywhere - he is just the type for that kind of work.  You could look right at him and even study his features, but you couldn't describe him as anything more than average height, average weight, dark hair, etc.  He could fit in as a native anywhere other than Africa, Latin America or Eastern Asia.

I've tried to find him several times over the years - even tried a private investigator once.  It's like he just disappeared off the face of the earth.  No death certificates, but also no other public records available about him.  I have the feeling I'll hear from him in another 10 years or so - provided he is still alive by then.  The PI said trying to find him had all the earmarks of someone the government didn't want located.  If I ever see him again, I'm sure he will be amazed I still have my V.   8)

Over time, I have expressed on this forum some of the reasons the V is special to me, and this is just one more example of why I can't ever see myself selling it unless my very existence depended on it.  Just too many good memories as well as the many times I've used it as an escape from the lower periods of my life.  It has truly become a part of what makes me who I am.  I will own other bikes, but the Silver Vision will always remain with me.

Sorry to wax rhapsodic, but it has been a long, emotional day, running the complete gamut from sad to happy - often both at once.  Just consider it therapy.  And, as I've stated before, writing helps me get through this difficult time.

H₂O

[don_vanecek]

Brand new in June 1984.

[joevacc]

I got mine brand new February '85.  Paid $1699.00 and got a brand new full face included.  8)  There was another one there at the time... Wonder what happened to it?

[h2olawyer]

The dealer threw in a Bell Tourstar II when I got mine, too.  He only had black or wineberry from which to choose - I went with the wineberry.  Still have it, but it will never get used again.  The inner foam rubber for the top of the head disintegrated.  I painted it Silver sometime in the early 90s.  Heavy & no ventilation beyond the visor.  Helmets have sure advanced since those days!

H₂O

[GT @ oh.]

I'm about the same as H2o.... would have been roughly June 84....right after graduating HS.....as a present to myself.....my first bike....I had rode a friends maybe twice slowly up and down his road but that was about it for my bike experience....I got my temps....and it was off to the small dealership nearby..... the V was the only bike I liked that was in my cash in hand price range $1200..... a seca 750 was the wrong color and a bit to high....the others were more the older look.....the story on the V according to the dealership owner was.......... that one of his guys had been riding it back and forth to work to see if he wanted it....... but had decided he wanted a bigger bike...... thats why there were some miles on it.......so he lets me take it for a ride.....with salesman on back.....go around the corner..... salesman gets off and says take it to the end of road.... turn around and come back .....so I go......... turn around...... and I think...... I wanna see what this thing has ....I rip into the throttle.....and of course theres that V stumble.....well it hesitates a sec then kicks up the front tire.....in plane veiw of the salesman.......who when I get back to.....has this distressed look on his face.... lol......back to the shop and sign the papers...... and the black 82 V was mine.

[h2olawyer]

When I got mine, the dealer had a Seca 650 as well.  The Seca line of that era had vastly different styling in each displacement (550, 650, 750, 750turbo, etc.).  The 650 styling was heavily influenced by British bikes of the 60s.  Almost the entire Yamaha line at that time had the rectangular headlight - the Seca 650 had a large round one.  I liked the styling then, and that bike has even improved over time (much like the Vision).  The bike I wanted most at that time was the 750 turbo, but the dealer had sold the last one he had about a month earlier.  Also, those turbos were quite a bit more $$ than either the V or Seca 650.  As I recall, the 650 was only about $350 more than the V by then.

After I signed the papers agreeing to buy the bike, the dealer told me he knew of one remaining full fairing kit (in Star Silver) that he could order in for me.  I think they wanted around $5 - 600 for the kit.  I opted for the Shark fairing & case guards instead for about $200 total.  Then did the financing, he told me to choose a helmet & I was down the road.  Picked up the fairing & case guards about a week later - along with a clutch lever & turn signal lens as the bike tipped over when the sidestand sunk in soft ground.   ::)  I was used to parking the dirt bike in the same spot for a couple years with no problem.  The heavier V & smaller stand base just didn't work in that spot until I got a flagstone and put it in the ground so I wouldn't be constantly replacing broken parts.

H₂O

[don_vanecek]

My dealer also had a left over 650 seca, but again it was another 2-300 dollars and I didn't have the money.  I think the Vision is just as good a bike, and in some ways better anyway! 

[h2olawyer]

My dealer also had a left over 650 seca, but again it was another 2-300 dollars and I didn't have the money.  I think the Vision is just as good a bike, and in some ways better anyway! 

I surely have no regrets about my purchase!  Would still like a Turbo Seca, though.   8)  But, I want a better full litre distance sport tourer first.

H₂O

[Ron_McCoy]

6-14-1984

[JDArgonaut]

2nd owner 08/08

[Rick G]

I bought my first one in 1999 and the one I'm riding in 2000.

[GT @ oh.]

The Seca he had was not the turbo style it had a tank more like the V....and was a 750...sooook

[h2olawyer]

Rode with a guy who owns a Seca 750 earlier this summer.  He had to downshift to keep up when I'd roll on the throttle to keep the group spacing fairly constant.  He was very surprised the V is 'only' a 550.   ;D  His Seca is a good looking bike with the Seca's version of the 'full' fairing.  Really, kind of a wider, more angular shark with some narrow lowers.  Really looks nice.

H₂O

[Aelwulf]

Bought about Spring of '05ish if I remember correctly, started riding it (regularly) around June of '07.  Prior owner had it sit for about 3-5 years, owner before that he said had it sitting for around ten years if I remember right.  So I'd guess I'm 3rd or 4th owner but only second one I'd gather to put any decent miles on it (roughly 3-4k of the 21kish on it).  Hopefully more to come.