Having had plenty of bikes and being without one now for a year or so, I thought it was time to get one in the garage.
The question in my head was: Should I buy something shiny or something that needed a bit/lot of loving, maybe a bit like a rescue dog.
I thought back to some of the bikes I've had in the past and noticed a trend: Aprilia RSV, Aprilia Futura, Suzuki TL1000R. So it was going to be a V-Twin and I remember loving the lump in my TLR.
However, now I'm getting on a bit and can't be arsed with all that crouching forward business I thought I would look for something more upright.
I chanced upon this eBayed Raptor and perhaps in a moment of madness, somewhat uncharacteristically popped in a bid based purely on it's TLR engine and rescue dog qualities.
I expect it has been seen on here before as the UK's only??? Raptor forum?
The bike, has scorpion cans with decibel killers, Power commander 3, good tyres, 3 new brake discs, starts easily (now the battery is charged and the connectors cleaned up), runs well and quietly. It does have major problems: No tax, no MOT, a lack of sidestand springs (easily sorted says he) and more worrying and potentially wallet busting lack of fourth gear along with minor issues, grubby, floppy clutch lever,.
I probably paid too much for it but it can sit in the garage over winter, awaiting and being fitted with cheap and cheerful replacement parts from various sources in readiness for a neck strengthening spring and summer.
I'm undecided what I'm going to do about the gearbox issue but I have plenty of time.
I have a few questions.
Are there any special tools I'm going to need to buy to take the gearbox apart?
Can anyone recommend anyone close to Suffolk/Cambridge who might have the skills to sort the gearbox issue? I'll take the lump to them .
Looking at the stand pics can anyone see if it looks complete as I don't want to chase up some springs only to find out the stand is incomplete.
Is that the diagnostic port connector I'm holding in one of the pics? or?
The gearbox issue will probabally mean the engine will need to be stripped 
may be wrong or at least i hope so. These arent a tlr but they are a fun bike , the biggest stumbling block on unleashing power on the raptor is the exhaust headers and the small airbox with non ram air, thats worth about 10 straight off the top and then with the tlr it had different cams,valves, twin injectors and around 20 more on top of the raptor but you can still improve on the raptors 105 rwhp within its limitations.
