Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

[wheelnut]

Had them as a kid, then a DT50, a couple of 125s as a teenager and then discovered the back seat on a car was bigger.

Came back to it in my 30s.

[MyLittleStudPony]

My parents said I learned the alphabet with motorbike names, inspired I think by a set of Top Trumps. But they wouldn't buy me one no matter how much I asked.

By the time I was 14 I'd saved up enough pocket money to buy a C70 for the fields for £50. An AR50 followed at 16, then an Aprilia 125 at 17. My mates had 50s and 125 and then moved onto bigger bikes. By the time I was 18 my dad relented and bought one himself, he'd had bikes when he was young and we used to go out on them together.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I grew up in a village and there were always bikes about, including a few ex Dave Bickers CZ MX bikes (Dave lived in the neighbouring village) and I had a few goes on them, but wasn't that bothered, I was way more interested in cars, then in 1983 I turned 16, left school and got a job 4 miles from home, first wage packet was spent on a 3 year old TS50ER and I was hooked.

I tried giving up bikes in my mid 40s, but I missed it and after a couple of years of being a right miserable twat, I got my old Husky out of the garage and went for a ride on it, decided the Husky was far too aggressive for a 48 year old and bought a CB400 Super Four, which was a fab little bike, before you know it I'm doing track days again and own 5 bikes

[Druid]

I was 20 when a mate from uni introduced me to the joys of motorcycles. i have not been more than two weeks without a bike in the 44 years since.

[ZRX61]

Third generation, been around them since before I could walk. First m/c injury when I was 5.. touched the header on an uncles new Velo Thruxton *sizzle*

[ZRX61]

Aged 17 got a 125 and went Learner legal for a couple of years then got bored of the 125 and rode bigger bikes illegally till i went for a job as a courier and they said "Can i see your license"...... "Oh, you want one of them" says i

Passed my test the following week and been riding ever since

Most courier companies didn't even ask to see your license. I had 6 different Provisionals when I lived in London.

[Buckaroo]

Not been without a a bike for 52 years. Before that, rode pillion with my Dad on his BSA Goldstar 650.
First time on the road was on a C90, took the test and got a 250 Hustler. The rest is history and a blur of bikes.
Can't see me ever not having a bike, even if to just look at it in the garage.
Same with guitars. Even when I can no longer play, I'll have one to admire.

[Whysub]

When I was 12, a mate let me have a go of his Motobecane moped on the disused railway line that ran behind my parents house. A few days later he sold it to me, not been without a bike since. Test passed a few days after my 17th birthday. Passed my advanced police test aged 40, rode for work until I retired in early 2019. Own four bikes now, each one with a different role for me. And in a country I can ride all year round

[Buckaroo]

Third generation, been around them since before I could walk. First m/c injury when I was 5.. touched the header on an uncles new Velo Thruxton *sizzle*

Me too!! I have a lovely big old scar on my right knee from the exhaust pipe off my Dad's bike. He may be gone now, but I often remember that day with him Dad!!

[Horse]

Not been without a a bike for 52 years.

I always said that I'd never give up until a Dr told me to. But by the time that happened, I already knew

Can't see me ever not having a bike, even if to just look at it in the garage.

... But kept my bike, just in case a miracle happened. But it didn't, and wouldn't, so sold it a couple of years later.

[Yorick]

Not been without a a bike for 52 years. Before that, rode pillion with my Dad on his BSA Goldstar 650.
First time on the road was on a C90, took the test and got a 250 Hustler. The rest is history and a blur of bikes.
Can't see me ever not having a bike, even if to just look at it in the garage.
Same with guitars. Even when I can no longer play, I'll have one to admire.

Top bombing

[Bustaspoke]

I had no interest in motorbikes until I left school at 16,I started work as an apprentice spark & needed transport to get to the different building sites.
I was given a Puch Maxi moped & a piss pot helmet,not a cool look for a 16 year old,yet from that point I was hooked,so after a few months I had saved enough to put down the deposit on a Honda SS50.That was way back in 1977 & I've never been without a bike since.I only bothered taking driving lessons when I was 23.& the most I've ever spent on a car is £1400,I've no interest in the things,yet I love bikes.

[mboy]

Spent my teenage years idling fondling through the Tamiya catalogues, dreaming about owning an RC30 or an OW01 despite being brought up being told that bikes were dangerous and I should never ride one... Then when I was 14, my Dad's mate (who used to turn up to our house on his Ducati 888SP4 at the time) then offered to take me to the motorbike show at the NEC that year, where I saw the launch of the 916... I was hooked!

I then got into WSB and subsequently GP racing, my previous love for F1 totally diminished... I passed my driving test when I was 17, but was far more interested in messing about on mates' bikes down the airfield when I had a chance...

Finally, at 21, I decided just to pay for Direct Access and to hell with what my Dad thought... Bought a 94 NC35 RVF400 in the meantime and stashed it at a mates house (had to get the previous owner to ride it over as I didn't have a license obviously!) whilst I passed my test, and then... I dropped the bombshell on my Dad (ironically he was watching some Irish Road racing on Eurosport at the time I'd plucked up the courage!), and he just said "OK, be careful"...

Spent a year on that RVF400 then sold it to a mate when I got offered my dream of a Ducati 748SP... Ran that for a couple of years (on a early 20's something shoestring of course!) until I couldn't afford to ride it any more, so parked it up in my Dad's garage...

Didn't ride for 12yrs, until after a breakup at 36, my then ex-GF paid me back the £1500 she owed me for various house related costs, and I found myself sat in front of ebay, tipsy, on May Day Bank Holiday Monday, the winning bidder of an unseen 1999 Honda VFR800... So I dug out my old riding kit, got a mate to give me a lift to pick it up, then wobbled home on it... By the time I got home, I was absolutely smitten again!

Fast forward 6 years and I've owned (and still own!) a LOT of bikes... I re-bit the bug HARD... Fortunately my GF loves coming on the back of bike too and is very understanding about my hobby and its effects on my mental health.

[Docca]

Failed my driving test at 17. Passed my DAS when I was 21 (on my birthday) and have had at least one bike mostly ever since. I’m 48.

Even when I’ve been unable to/ don’t ride or going through really tough times, knowing a had a bike in the garage/on the road always lifted my spirits and still does.

[v8-powered]

Was more interested in cars as a youth but then started borrowing a mates H100 in my late teens. Got my own bike (TZR125) ar 21 and passed my test, had a bike pretty much solidly since - now 52

[DefTrap]

Out of uni and too skint for a car or lessons, getting a bike on Ls was too easy. Parents were horrified because you get hooked. 30 odd years of continuous ownership and riding, but I should really start buying a few less shit ones. For a while I genuinely enjoyed the mechanicing as much as the riding.

[Supermofo]

My Dad had bikes when he was young then had a break for family life etc but when I was 12 my uncle got an old Triumph Tiger and he let my Dad have a go and I jumped at the chance to go pillion. After that my Dad had various mainly small cc bikes which my older brother used to ride in car parks/off road. Then at 16 my older brother got a bike, an MT50 and I learnt to ride that when I was about 13 I guess.

From 13 - 18 I rode my brothers/dads bikes off road, my little brother had a PW50 aged 4 I think! Then at 18 when I went to Uni in Strawberry Hill and hated the train ride so did my CBT and nicked my dads KH100 and I've been hooked ever since. Passed my test at 18 and got a TZR 250 as my first 'big' bike and haven't looked back.

I'm 46 now so been riding for 28 years on road, longest I've been off a bike was 6 months after Uni cos I was skint and 8 months after my bike crash in 2007 as my hand stopped working which was a bit of an impediment!

[Taipan]

Spent my teenage years idling fondling through the Tamiya catalogues, dreaming about owning an RC30 or an OW01 despite being brought up being told that bikes were dangerous and I should never ride one... Then when I was 14, my Dad's mate (who used to turn up to our house on his Ducati 888SP4 at the time) then offered to take me to the motorbike show at the NEC that year, where I saw the launch of the 916... I was hooked!

I then got into WSB and subsequently GP racing, my previous love for F1 totally diminished... I passed my driving test when I was 17, but was far more interested in messing about on mates' bikes down the airfield when I had a chance...

Finally, at 21, I decided just to pay for Direct Access and to hell with what my Dad thought... Bought a 94 NC35 RVF400 in the meantime and stashed it at a mates house (had to get the previous owner to ride it over as I didn't have a license obviously!) whilst I passed my test, and then... I dropped the bombshell on my Dad (ironically he was watching some Irish Road racing on Eurosport at the time I'd plucked up the courage!), and he just said "OK, be careful"...

Spent a year on that RVF400 then sold it to a mate when I got offered my dream of a Ducati 748SP... Ran that for a couple of years (on a early 20's something shoestring of course!) until I couldn't afford to ride it any more, so parked it up in my Dad's garage...

Didn't ride for 12yrs, until after a breakup at 36, my then ex-GF paid me back the £1500 she owed me for various house related costs, and I found myself sat in front of ebay, tipsy, on May Day Bank Holiday Monday, the winning bidder of an unseen 1999 Honda VFR800... So I dug out my old riding kit, got a mate to give me a lift to pick it up, then wobbled home on it... By the time I got home, I was absolutely smitten again!

Fast forward 6 years and I've owned (and still own!) a LOT of bikes... I re-bit the bug HARD... Fortunately my GF loves coming on the back of bike too and is very understanding about my hobby and its effects on my mental health.

Don't leave us hanging, is the Ducati 748SP still in your Dads garage?

[Horse]

offered my dream of a Ducati 748SP... Ran that for a couple of years (on a early 20's something shoestring of course!) until I couldn't afford to ride it any more, so parked it up in my Dad's garage...

Don't leave us hanging, is the Ducati 748SP still in your Dads garage?

Only if it's as cavernous as your loft o'plenty

[Count Steer]

Failed my driving test at 17. Passed my DAS when I was 21 (on my birthday) and have had at least one bike mostly ever since. I’m 48.

Even when I’ve been unable to/ don’t ride or going through really tough times, knowing a had a bike in the garage/on the road always lifted my spirits and still does.

When I was unable to ride (due to a knee issue that went on for far too long) The sight of the bikes, unused, in the garage was depressing (so I sold them, as I'd rather think they're in use). Before that, if I thought 'hmmm, could go out on the bike today, well, maybe tomorrow' etc it wouldn't have bothered me if they'd sat there for a month at a time.