Do you name your bikes? ... or the christening of Clarissa

[John C]

In the process of spannering away quite merrily as part of the process resurrecting my R65, it struck me that it’s quite an intimate and personal experience for both of us, so the logical extension of that is that the bike should have a name.

I’d already started describing her as “the old girl” in conversations with friends, but that’s still a little impersonal.

So, where was I going to find a name for her?

My 1150 GS has acquired the name of “Zebedee” from its original UK rego, and hence I acquired my “nom de plume” on a couple of other forums, so that seemed like an obvious place to start, the rego.

UG ... Ugly Betty ... Betty ... Nope. All wrong for so many reasons.

88 ... two fat ladies ... BINGO ... Bingo indeed, I think we’re on to something here. You know, that UK cooking program with the two older ladies with heaps of character charging around the countryside on a Triumph outfit. The fact that the TV program apparently took its name from the 88 in the Triumph’s rego seemes to close the circle nicely. Sorted.

Therefore, Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce Clarissa: An engaging older lady who demonstrates lots of character and displays a fine set of jugs ... I’m talking about the R65 here, obviously

[bmwlefty]

I didn't name my K1100LT, but because of it's colour , Astral Blue (kind of purple/blue) someone referred to it as the 'Lilac Limousine'

[VA1]

No, not all of them... but in a nut shell;

My first bike a Kawa EN500 in 1990 was called Theresa.
My first BMW R100GS was called Donkey. Just seemed right...
The current K1200S is called Porky Pig or the PIG. Also just seemed right...