TheBenior's GTI and Ducati Monster 696. Da Bears, dabears, dabears, dabears.

[TheBenior]

2008 Mazdaspeed3:

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Mods: Corksport short ram intake and turbo inlet pipe, turbo-back exhaust, 3" top mount intercooler, TRZ rear motor and side transmission mounts, Cobb AccessPort reflash, Goodridge stainless brake lines, 18x8 Andros Spec D wheels with Potenza S-04s in the summer, 17x7 MSW Type 14 wheels with Dunlop Winter Sport tires in the winter. The power mods are good for 295 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

Purchased new in 2008, now has a big 34k miles on it in spite of a few road trips. Owning another vehicle for most of the time I've owned it and living close to work have kept the mileage low. It's got great rolling acceleration, isn't the greatest from a drag (like most overpowered FWD cars), and definitely has torque steer, has mediocre fuel economy, and the mechanical LSD has been invaluable in the winter.

When I mounted my winter wheels last year, I found that the right rear shock as leaking again. The original rear shocks were replaced under warranty at 13k, and the replacements lasted about 20k before the aforementioned leak was found. Since the Mazdaspeed3 has different valving than the regular Mazda3, my strut/shock options include factory (crap), Bilstein, Koni, and various coil-overs. I have enough ground clearance and front end scraping issues at the stock ride height, so coil-overs are out, which left me debating Bilsteins or Konis for a while. Lo and behold, Shox.com has a 25% off Koni coupon code, so Koni yellows were ordered tonight.

1978 Suzuki GS550:

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Purchased in late 2012 with 13k original miles, now it has 14k on it. It's listed as having 49hp @9000rpm, making it supposedly good for a 13.7 1/4mi and a 112mph top speed.

Mods/maintenance: Bridgestone S11 Spitfire tires in the metric equivalent to the factory size, leaky fork seals replaced and factory springs replaced with Progressive springs, and dangerously dim sealed beam headlamp replaced with halogen Indian copy of a Cibie. I'm quite satisfied with the Progressive springs, which have made the bike handle better and in an unexpected bonus, also lowered my front end by ~1", making flat-footing easier.

Future plans: The intake pipes and o-rings, and carb seals could probably all stand to be replaced. I have the parts, but haven't gotten around to getting them put in. I'm getting atrocious fuel economy (25mpg city), so something's not running right. I paid to have my carbs looked at right after I got the bike, but I can't say that I'm entirely satisfied with the results. My intake air box boots could stand to be replaced, but they're no longer in production, which means that I may have to go with pod filters if I want good sealing, and that means I'd probably have to get the bike dyno tuned if I want it running properly. Front brake lines should be replaced, and probably with stainless lines since the factory single disc front braking system needs all the help it can get. I'd also like to replace the rear shock/springs and get the seat recovered. Hopefully, I get a house with a garage this year so that I can do more work myself.