SRAD rebuild after a big off

After a big accident involving a lorry, my Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD was left destroyed, so during the rebuild I took the opportunity to get a custom Shark paint job.

A foreign truck pulled out of a side road on me and I ended up with a broken arm, fractured skull, dislocated eye socket, 3 shattered teeth, smashed rib cage, both lungs punctured, a ruptured liver and brain damage. I was in a coma for 4 or 5 weeks and in hospital for 2 months in total.

The lorry driver pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention. He was given a 24 month conditional discharge, 9 points on his UK driving licence and had to pay £60 costs.

The bike was pretty smashed up, but the frame was straight and the engine ok so I decided to rebuild it. It also gave me something to do during my recovery, but I had a lot of help from a group called the Beartown Bikers, based in Congleton.

I started looking online for paint job ideas and I saw this shark scheme on a Honda on the dream machine website. I liked it, so I bought a full new set of panels (all different colours, since it didn’t matter!) and sent them off to dream machine.

£1200 and 6 months later, I had the panels back. I had custom-made seat covers done to match the paint, then finished the bike off with a custom-made irdium blue screen, art can, ohlins rear shock, Galfer wavey brake dics (front & back) and an Ohlins steering damper.

I also had to buy all new kit since my old stuff was wasted in the crash. Unfortunately when I started the project I didn’t realise how much brain damage I has sustained, if I had I might not have spent the money. This means I still haven’t been able to ride the bike, but hopefully I’ll be out on it soon!