··1 love my Doris!

Cliff Williams, 61, bought 'Doris', a low mileage 2002, Speed Triple 955i model in 2005 from Roger Winterburn, at "' Windy corner. "The price I paid, I'm afraid, is lost in the mists of time and two house moves. However, I do remember the deal involved my trading in my 885cc model. The difference between how the 885 and the 955i felt was huge. It was apparent that ongoing development had brought a good many improvements. so began a long and happy ownership. "An early test of our partnership was it being pressed into use whilst conducting CBTS. In truth, the triple engine, being so flexible, made life easy. Following a change in my personal life, I found myself with the opportunity to head off across the country to various destinations, pretty much at the drop of a hat. once again the 955i stepped up to the mark. A small rack was fitted for soft luggage. A bag was strapped to it and I was away! "Over the last 15 years we've clocked up about 80,000 miles together. In that time we've visited the Cotswolds numerous times and the west country. Wales has been a regular destination. We've even visited the west Highlands of Scotland. Every journey has been a pleasure and over the years I've found this bike to be my perfect all-rounder. Neither of us are youngsters now, so I've had to adapt the old lady a little to suit my saggy old carcass. "The standard bars (great for a streetfighter) eventually had to be swapped for some that are a couple of inches higher. At a later date bar raisers were also fitted, along with heated grips. The seat. whilst fine for shorter trips, has benefitted from a sheepskin: much more comfortable for longer journeys. "I've been asked why I've bothered doing these things to this bike, rather than buying something arguably more suitable, such as a Tiger. The answer is quite simple. Any standard bike is simply a tool to be used. When we add something, no matter how small, we start to personalise the machine and over time and several additions, or alterations, the bike becomes more suited to our personal requirements. "It's not all been plain sailing mechanically, or electrically. I had the stator rewound about 10 years ago. Also. the rectifier had to be swapped. Other issues are really down to old age, such as a couple of the coil sticks giving up, as was the need to replace the notoriously brittle fuel line connectors on the tank. "On the whole though, Doris has been a good, solid and dependable companion on some wonderful adventures. I have a much younger T100 Bonneville in the garage. But if I'm making a trip of any distance, I always wheel out the Triple: she's the best all-rounder I've ever had!"