If you don’t like motorbikes exit now

I’ve been riding motorbikes since I gave up any ambitions to become a prima ballerina.

My first was a Yamaha 100, a fizzy. It sounded like a seriously wounded sewing machine and didn't have the power to make it past a London bus. 

My second was a Virago, 535. The poor woman’s Harley. Loads of chrome to polish and no noise but it went. I must have got lucky with the one I bought because it was still cruising at 100mph 10 years later. I travelled around Europe on the Virago and it only let me down once. I pushed it round mountains despite the long wheel base.

Next the Honda Hornet.

I nearly fell off when I put it in gear because it jumped forward so quickly. I loved it, a hooligan bike that went fast. All around France, up and down mountains, screaming through London traffic. Short wheel base I thought it was the best bike ever.

Next Honda CB1000 F. Big, heavy and, now that I can be honest, too heavy for me or for parking in London. Still it cruised well, Europe again, France, Spain. One trip from the top of Spain all the way down to the south and back up again because it was too hot. Beautiful on the long winding curves of the Spanish roads but not so good on small country English ones.

A gap when my partner and I travelled and lived in Asia over two years.

The shock of the weight of my Honda after riding little scooters around Thailand and Burma was so great that it put me off the bike. I had also broken my ankle in Thailand and lost confidence in putting weight on it so the two things combined to make my decision to sell the big bike.

Back in England I managed to get an old hornet and had to relearn to ride because my confidence was so low. The bike was a 2002 version with very low mileage on it (see the pic above) and it took me around the Pyrenees, down into Spain and up and down the hills of Hastings, where I now live.

Finally, the need for a bike that had a petrol gauge on it and a few digital helpers finds me sitting on the Triumph speed twin. Wonderful, low slung, feet could touch the ground and the sound. Plus 200cc extra engine power. A red motorbike and a noise that told car drivers I was behind them. Perfect. I am a happy biker again.

A heads up, I will be having a print sale in January. I will also have cards for sale.