It appears that I have some quirks in that I like:
- Accelerating faster than the planet spins
- The feel of wind in my face and hair
- Rain pissing down the back of my neck
- Having manly, dirty, oilish hands
- Testing Newton’s laws on greasy roads
To assist me in the fulfilment of these small urges, I ride motorcycles. I’ve ridden them now for 47 years and survived two minor scrapes with only minor damage to the bikes. (The human damage healed without intervention…)
Here’s the roll of honour, in order of ownership. The BMW was a long keeper at 17 years all told: but some of the others often stayed in the family for many years as well.
| The Beastie | Vintage | Thoughts… |
| Velocette LE Mk3 200cc | 1963 | The very first. And the first one to be stripped down and repaired, as well, after I seized it into a headwind. Micro-peining, anyone? |
| Triumph Tiger100C 500cc | 1954 | Sprung hub racing bike, scary as hell. First time over a ton, the number plate vibrated loose… then the mudguard… and the… |
| Norton Model 50 350cc | 1957? | A rare, beautiful single in a 500 featherbed frame. I rode it to school daily, much to the amusement of my teachers (who told me stories about their motorbike days in the ‘30s and ‘40s). I wish I’d kept this one forever, but university called. |
| BSA Thunderbolt 650cc | 1973 | Last of the Meriden line, with oil-in-frame, split saddle tank (vibration again), and the feeling of needing a stepladder to mount the thing. |
| Suzuki Twin Titan 500cc 2-stroke | 197? | Bought as a project, ridden once and stripped down (and the best thing for it, too – a horrible lump of metal). Sold it to a pupil, who is still alive to tell the tale 30 years later. Goodoh. |
| Honda CB750K 750cc Four | 1969 | One of the model originals. Kept it as a conversation piece because it was such a pig to ride around corners. It kept the addictions at bay for a while, but then I sold it. Haven’t missed it, really. |
| Honda CX500 500cc | 1978 | Single front-caliper model. NOT a “plastic maggot” but a brilliant bike, taken all around the South Island. Lots of mechanical work to do: unravelling Honda’s unorthodox thinking was a blast. This bike kept me sane. Sold it to my bro-in-law 20 years ago and he still has it. Choice. |
| Suzuki GN250 250cc | 1981 | Strictly speaking, my partner’s bike. But I stole it. Lovely little thing and it also went around the Island with no problems. |
| Suzuki GN400 400cc | 1978 | Oddball kickstart-only version of the GN250 using s DR dirt-bike engine. Remarkably stable and agile. Sold it to a work colleague, on long-term credit. Such is life. |
| Honda CX400C 400cc | 1978 | I liked the CX500 so much I bought the factory… no, wait, I tried the custom style for a change and quite liked it. This bike also went up and down the Island with surprising ease. And at damn good speeds, too. |
| BMW R80RT 800cc | 1988 | The last of the old airheads, with monolever suspension and those lovely Bing carburettors. Ex-police model, which meant that traffic always moved aside for me as I split the lanes. Brilliant. I kept it for 17 years, which really says it all. Open visor at |
| Yamaha Virago XV400 400cc | 1983 | Couldn’t resist this: quite a rare bird, in fact. I bought it on TradeMe from Auckland (kind of deceased estate) and shipped down at huge expense. Spent 6 weeks in pieces and is back together again, going like a little sewing machine. Made a fairing and packrack and I’m off… I think I’m falling in love again, after all these years. |
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