‘What I’d buy right now with’ £4000
1978 Suzuki GT250 X7
John Reynolds has raced everything from a motocross bike to a Velocette MOV 250 and has lined up in 500GPs and WSB but it is his record of 37 race wins and 117 podiums from 202 starts in BSB that he is best known for. A title winner on a Kawasaki ZXR750 and Ducati 996RS, in 2004 John became the first litre-bike BSB champion when he won on the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 K4. Having retired from racing in 2005, John has helped develop every GSX-R since 2006 and is a Suzuki brand ambassador. So, what would he spend his money on?
“I’m starting to look at older stuff and one bike has tempted me – a Suzuki X7. My mate has just bought an absolutely mint one and I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. I know James Whitham is really into them and I get it, they are a really lovely looking bike which I couldn’t afford back in the late 1970s. “I’m a huge fan of two-strokes and what they are all about, it is a design of engine we won’t see again, and the X7 was the first 250 to hit 100mph, which makes it special. I’ll be honest, I’ve never ridden one so it might be a nightmare – but when you have slipped on your rose-tinted glasses that doesn’t matter, it is about the whole experience. I don’t do many road miles anymore, which is why a classic would make sense.
“If I was looking at something a bit more practical, I’d go for an adventure bike, something like the V-Strom 1050. It is a cracking bike that handles well, is comfortable and more than fast enough. As for a bike to take on track, despite being a huge fan of litre sportsbikes I probably wouldn’t buy one, I’d get a GSX-R750 instead. “I helped develop a few GSX-R750s and the last one, which came out in 2011, was sublime to ride and in my opinion the best ever.”
+ Loads of fun to ride and pleasingly basic
They are possibly a bit – too basic nowadays...