Item you didn’t buy ...

[Neil178]

... when you had the chance to.
Over the years I finally realised that it you see something you want/need then don’t dilly dally, just get it bought. Because if you don’t when you finally get around to it the item may no longer be available.
For my 1100S I always intended to buy a rear seat cover from one of the German after market manufacturers, possibly Boxer Design. They did a couple and the one I wanted had a hump with an access panel. Ideal for a few small items although it wasn’t lockable. I’m aware now that Corbin did something similar.
So, what was your biking missed opportunity?

[popsky]

Slightly off topic, not item but bike.

Well where to begin really, far too many but the ONE I do remember 1982 maybe, I’d gone to Taunton to get my Honda CB250rs serviced and on my way home late Saturday afternoon I had to pass the now long gone Taunton Kawasaki dealer, and there it was, stood in the window, all red and magnificent, a Kawasaki GPz550, I was like a snotty school boy with my nose pressed against the window. WOW that was my dream bike but but but how much jeez I can’t afford that, so I bought a Z400j, ridiculous when I think back, the 550 was probably only about 2 or 3 hundred pounds more but hayho, the 400 was eventually repainted as an Eddie Lawson rep with an Alfa4into1, and 3 years later 40K odd miles and many trips I’d fallen in love with the GPz750, but I bought a Z750 oh the memories

[box-doctor]

A San Jose air filter for my BoxerCup - I’ll probably not get another chance & that makes me sad

[nab 301]

Not so much something that isn't available but upgraded shocks . I put up with the originals for 90odd k miles and then transformed the ride quality just when I stopped using the bike on a regular basis. Lightweight wheels would have been nice too. I'd also love a decent seat for my S although I guess these are still available.
On the bike front in the early 80's I replaced my high mileage Em Zed with a a Kwak Z250c ( the sensible economical choice in a world of spiralling oil prices).... When I could have purchased an LC350 although i guess I may not have been around to have this conversation now if I had purchased the LC.... Even recently I put a deposit on one as a project and walked away( minus the deposit) when I finally totted up the possible worst case scenario costs involved!

[RiceBurner]

... when you had the chance to.
Over the years I finally realised that it you see something you want/need then don’t dilly dally, just get it bought. Because if you don’t when you finally get around to it the item may no longer be available.
For my 1100S I always intended to buy a rear seat cover from one of the German after market manufacturers, possibly Boxer Design. They did a couple and the one I wanted had a hump with an access panel. Ideal for a few small items although it wasn’t lockable. I’m aware now that Corbin did something similar.
So, what was your biking missed opportunity?

Same - There was a company in Japan who made a rather nice humped pillion seat replacement for the R1150R/Rockster, and I drooled over it for about 5 years, never quite opening the wallet up enough to actually buy one.

[GRAgusta]

Slightly off topic, not item but bike.

Well where to begin really, far too many but the ONE I do remember 1982 maybe, I’d gone to Taunton to get my Honda CB250rs serviced and on my way home late Saturday afternoon I had to pass the now long gone Taunton Kawasaki dealer, and there it was, stood in the window, all red and magnificent, a Kawasaki GPz550, I was like a snotty school boy with my nose pressed against the window. WOW that was my dream bike but but but how much jeez I can’t afford that, so I bought a Z400j, ridiculous when I think back, the 550 was probably only about 2 or 3 hundred pounds more but hayho, the 400 was eventually repainted as an Eddie Lawson rep with an Alfa4into1, and 3 years later 40K odd miles and many trips I’d fallen in love with the GPz750, but I bought a Z750 oh the memories

Same era, similar outcome .... I desperately wanted a GPz550, but due to budget constraint settled with a Z550F in 1983.

fullsizeoutput_244d by gawaine appleby, on Flickr

Gorgeous bike when it was new and loved riding it but lots of niggling issues. I am sure a GPz could have had the same issues but it would have delivered the dream.

[Neil178]

Another item I was after was the headers from Wonderlich. Again I was too late and they stopped selling them. Roll on a few years and I saw a brand new set on eBay USA for much less than the original asking price. Now sitting on a shelf in my garage along with one of those fancy dan Italian triple exhausts. Another winter job. Been saying that for a few too many years now. Procrastination should be my middle name!
Yep, doesn’t really fit into this thread!