My dad had countless Nortons and a clapped-out Brough Superior, and his sister had a bike as a wedding present, so it must be in the family genes! On second thoughts the Brough couldn't have been that clapped out cos it's still going. Dad isn't, alas.
Got a pic of my Grandad and my Dad on there bikes hung on my dinning room wall.
Came off my mates X7 at 15 then had long brake till my mate started giving me a lift to work on his bike
Luckily work paid for me to do my test and have had some kind of bike around ever since.
My dad and grandad both rode bikes and my mum was pregnant with me when she and my dad went to cornwall on his BSA in 1960. But it was a definate no no for me or my sis to go anywhere a bike. But I hope he approves if he's looking down on me now!
both my borthers were into bikes, used to ride pillion from about age 9, then brother let me ride an old ducati up on the lonnings about 11 or 12 ,, then loved the thrill of being pillion at high speeds, and knees or helmet nearly touching the ground . then as soon as was possible (about 1981)got a 125 rd yamaha went to work on it , then a yamy 125,(1982-1986) passed my test in 1986(two part just came in ). passed 1st time, yippeee,then didnt buy a bike for years, just got married and hubby already had a bike,so just went pilly. borrowed brothers bike now and then,sort of lost the riding bit for a long time until my brother got me into riding them again in 2006, got a kawa gpz 550, then kawa z550, then and it was stolen in oct 2008, nevergot another until sept 2009 so roll on biking lol. but its always been in my blood and love everything about biking
I have always been around bikes & have been pilly but never thought about doing my test ... always something more important ... kids... bills ... kids ... work ... kids ... you know the score.
Ian had said many times I would have no probs doing my test cos I was a natural when I was pilly with him, 'he has forgotten I have been on the back of him.
So 2 years ago I had a car crash that resulted in some nasty damage to my shoulder & 14 weeks off work = enough money to do my CBT, big bike lessons tests & get a big bike ... till I tore the ligaments in my ankle before doing my test so thats why I got Stuey last June, Vinnie was resigned to a corner of the garage.
Now even on the lil bike I love the feeling of not being boxed in that I get sometimes in the car .. you cannot beat it
My older brother had bikes, but I had no interest whatsoever UNTIL the first day back at school for the fifth year. The lad I sat next to in maths was 16 that day and had a brand new, shiny black DT50MX. By xmas I was hooked well and truly. Come my 16th in March I had a red and white DT. Passed parts1 and 2 in March and May the following year, almost 25 years ago now. Crikey time flies. Is RDC335X still in existence?
i did not start riding bikes till 1991, a young 30 years of age, just felt I had to, cant explain, just something i had to do and have never looked back.................craig
I'm affraid my Dad's to blame for my obsession. When I was younger and Donnington had just reopened, it was a regular place to visit for the family days out. Watching the greats racing was the buz for me. But I was in the armed forces when I was 17 so I never got chance to have me own bike till I was 20. Passed me test on a GS125 then within 10 months I had a GPZ900R. Them where the days. Me and me dad still go to the races, love it
Dad always had a bike, he didn't learn to drive until I was about 14 so He always had a bike to get to work on. I have an ace photo of him with his old BSA in the 60's. I used to wait for him at the top of the street and then used to sit on the tank down the road, loved it. When I could touch the floor he used to take me down the local lanes and let me ride, I soon picked it up and havn't learned much since lol.
I got my first one because I was cheesed off at old bangers that kept breaking down. In 1990 I bought a brand new Kawasaki AR125 in black and red (best colour) and never looked back. I can remember I didn't have to take a CBT then and my L plates could have stayed on for as long as I wished.
I only went for the test because my mate didn't want to do his on his tod. I passed and he didn't lol.
Dad always kept an interest in bikes, he rode my old H-D Sportster and my old Virago and they both frightened the life out of him, he hadn't rode anything with disc brakes and over 250cc.
My bike is me, it makes me who I am (for better or worse) Through it I have been to places I would not have looked at twice, Met people who I would have walked past and most of all I gained the best anti depressant known to man. No matter what life throws at me (and it has a good aim usually) A few mins on the bike can sort it out.
I have made long lasting freindships from casual conversations at the side of a road, I have also lost freinds and relatives through it, some by lifestyle changes and some through accidents. My bike has bought me here and who knows where it will take me next? Wherever it may be I was meant to be there I am going to enjoy it.
RustyKnight In: Newton Aycliffe
Posts: 2462
Karma:
When I was 15 I used to go out with a girl 25 miles away and the last bus used to stop in a rough arse mining village and fill up with the drunks at kicking out time. I always got a hiding every Saturday night for 6 months so as soon as I hit 16 and started work I used my first pay packet as a deposit on a bike and hey ho, no more kickings
After that I got the buzz and loved bikes ever since
Always loved bikes. Even as a kid, don't know why. My Dad did have a bike but long before I was born so it wasn't that.
When my mates had posters of football players and rugby players on their walls, I had posters of bikes. I used to make airfix models of bikes and buy and read bike magazines. In art classes at school I used to draw bikes.
As soon as I was old enough to actually ride a bike it was the natural thing to do. Passed my test when I was seventeen and for many years the bike was my only means of transport. Even now I find it a bit odd how a bit of cold weather can put people off riding; I remember times when I'd had to attack the gates back at home with a blow torch in order to quickly thaw all the ice off so I could get the bike out to go to work. And then all the times I'd had to ride to work despite the several inches of snow.
Indeed, it wasn't until I was twenty eight that I accepted the advantages of having a car and took and passed my car test.
Despite this I've always had a bike and apart from a couple of years in my early thirties when I used to use the car more, I've always considered my main form of transport as being my bike.
Within the last couple of years I've started commuting again on the bike everyday only to find I still love it as much as I did in my early twenties. Admittedly I do have such luxuries nowadays as heated grips and gore-tex jackets and am even considering for next winter wiring up my heated vest that I've had for three years and never used!
I know a lot of people would find it a bit odd, but if I had to get rid of either the car or the bike, it would be the car.
loved bikes since i can remember,at school got told off for drawing pics of bikes when should have been something else,been kicked out of family home for bringing a bike home,bsa b31,cost 3-50,did it up sold it for f10-00,swopped dads push bike for moped,he was going to kill me,until he found that he did not have to pedal up hills,that was the end,he then caught the bug as well as me,passed the test 3 days after my 16th birthday,cheated of course,dad was a driving examiner,went on to race bike bikes cos i was mad on the road,was told i would kill myself,so racing it was,again fantastic time raced against the likes of phil haslem,mick grant to name a few,great days and still are,still love bikes and the people who ride and like them,they are different to car drivers,cos they like me like the freedom of the road and being different,and its still great.
Can't blame my bike riding on my parents, it's all my brother's fault! He got a 125 when I was 12 (or so) and we used to go everywhere on it.
Then my sister got a bike, and I used to bus over to her place, and "ride" it up and down the side alley. Learned lots of clutch control etc on that alley.
Then went to France with school, and my exchange student had a Yamaha DT80 in the garage. Best 2 weeks of my life. They couldn't do gears, all twist and go... then this English lad (Me) turns up and knows clutch, gears etc... BIG BIG Grins.
Age 16, went to college in Buxton with a Yamaha FS1SE (Yes, the custom style one!!!) moved to a GS125 on my 17th birthday, passed my test (both parts) 5 months later and haven't been without a bike since! (erm... 24 years and counting).
The feeling of a winding country road, warm summer sun, and freedom can't really be found anywhere else
I always thought of getting my licence and bike but never got round to it. Then finally started taking lessons Dec09, thought that if I don't do it now then I'll never (also maybe mid-life crisis). I just wish that I done it years ago, I'm loving the free feeling that you have and that you leave all your thoughts behind. Plus everyone you meet is friendly and welcoming. Just need to do my Mod2 and get a bike for the spring now. :)
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