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

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

Post by Taipan »

Moi, been around bike since I were in single figures. Bought various old shitty field bikes with my paper round money. Then did the obligatory Fsie then 250 learner route. I never bothered taking my test and finally lost the allure of bikes in my 20s but returned to them about 25 years ago.
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Noggin »

Very very late to the party. I bought my first 'proper' bike at 32 - well, turned 33 a month later!! I did have a 175 for few months when I was about 28 but after recovery from a broken back the year before (nothing to do with bikes!!), I struggled with the kick start, so only rode it about 3 times, so don't really count it!!


I do really really wish I'd learn very much earlier. We lived on a farm when I was a kid and damn that would have been awesome to have bikes there. But my mother was a million % anti bikes!! She still hates that I ride. Would prefer me to ride horses (even tho I broke my back the first time in a horse riding accident :roll: ).

I feel very much that I missed out - on the types of bikes, the time to learn and a lot of experiences!! But, once I'm back on the road, I'll try and keep making up for lost time!! :angelic-green: :angelic-green: :angelic-green:
Life is for living. Buy the shoes. Eat the cake. Ride the bikes. Just, ride the bikes!! :bblonde:
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by weeksy »

Sat on a bike at 30 for first time
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Taff »

I bought my first mx bike at 21, did my direct access at 24 and haven't as far as I remember been bikeless since I bought that first one. 28 years.
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Mr Moofo »

Late to the party. Has feeds at Uni who rode bikes, my dad rode bikes - but expressly forbade me from riding them ( on threat of withholding my grant).
Passed my test when I was 300 - and bought a Triumph Trophy. I was old before my time!
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Yorick »

Rode dad's dirt bike at 10ish. Then he buggered off but the bug was there
Worshipped Barry Sheene so ped at 16.
250 at 17
GT750 at 18.
At 22 got big compo payout so started racing.
Never been without a bike in 47 years.
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by KungFooBob »

Did my CBT the Saturday after my 16th birthday (1994 iirc). Inherited my mothers Cat Sick Yellow Honda Melody the next day (cos she'd just bought a TS50X). I was the only 5th year going to school on a bike without pedals.

Been on two wheels ever since.
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Skub »

As far back as I can recall,I always wanted a motorcycle. Like a lot of others,I tooshed around on old field bikes (NSU Quickly) while at school,but it wasn't until I started work at 16 I was able to save up enough money to buy my own bike a year later. No PCP in those days.

I never wanted a car and still don't,but it's sadly necessary. I was 30 and married 5 years before I relented and did my car test. We didn't have enough money for a car and a bike,so for the first time,I was bikeless. It lasted a looong six months,then I couldn't stick it any longer. Our bass player at the time was selling a 350 elsie,so I bought that to take the bad look off me!

So,51 years down the road and I still get that same old buzz from riding and owning a bike. 8-)
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Bigyin »

Dad stuck me on an Italjet twist and go dirt bike when i was 11 and that was me hooked.
Rode assorted field bikes and learned clutch and gears doing that from 12 till 16 and then started riding mates bikes on the road.
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 :mrgreen:

Passed my test the following week and been riding ever since :thumbup:
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by MrLongbeard »

Another one late to the party, I was around 28 when I got licensed, so around 26 - 27 when I did my CBT
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Count Steer »

Passed test ASAP (having learned riding a Lambretta around a field), scooter, bikes - various. Got a car for a few years. then bought a brand spanking new bike. Then 14 years off/cars. Bought a shiny new bike in 2003 and had various others alongside it...but never more than 2 bikes in the car port/garage. :D
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Yorick »

I think I enjoy owning the bikes as much as I like riding them.
When I walk in the mancave I always smile. Two fantastic bikes. Top of their game.
And both beautiful.

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

Post by KungFooBob »

Yorick wrote: Thu May 04, 2023 7:51 pm I think I enjoy owning the bikes as much as I like riding them.
When I walk in the mancave I always smile. Two fantastic bikes. Top of their game.
And both beautiful.

:D
I didn't know you bought a Ducati Panigale and a KTM EXC, you kept that quiet!
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Horse »

Sidecar passenger for my first couple years.

Needed transport for work aged 18. Hadn't passed the car test, so bought a bike. 1976

Bitten by the bug.

Last rode on-road in 2013. Last rode, briefly, in February this year, in a field, just to see whether I could.
Even bland can be a type of character :wave:
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by ogri »

Since my FS1e-dx in' '77 :)
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Yorick »

KungFooBob wrote: Thu May 04, 2023 8:13 pm
Yorick wrote: Thu May 04, 2023 7:51 pm I think I enjoy owning the bikes as much as I like riding them.
When I walk in the mancave I always smile. Two fantastic bikes. Top of their game.
And both beautiful.

:D
I didn't know you bought a Ducati Panigale and a KTM EXC, you kept that quiet!
When I bought the GSXR it was British Superstock champ. No sign of the Duck.
My pals prefer the GasGas to the KTM.
They've been riding 30 years off road.
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Couchy »

Grandad lived on an old farm with loads of land so from a young age (6 or 7) we had field bikes till at 16 I got a moped, here we are some 48 years and a few bikes later 😃
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by Cousin Jack »

Born again. Had a bike aged 17, but ASAP I swapped it for a car. Bikes, as transport for a young single lad on the pull, have significant disadvantages.

Always liked bikes, almost bought one for commuting at least twice, even got as far as choosing which model, then chickened out.

After a few more years of lusting after bikes, and talking about them, Mrs CJ gave me an ultimatum. Buy a bike or shut up about bikes. So I did, 38 years after I last rode I bought a new Triumph T100. Now, 20 years and close on 100k miles later, I am still riding.
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by demographic »

Bought a DT100 off a couple of mates when I was 16, dossed about on the fells and fell roads on it and since then I don't think there's been a month when I haven't had a bike, they've not always been runners mind.

Pretty muxh zero interest in cars, just a roof with a wheel under each corner so a vans a bigger roof with a wheel under each corner and better for me.
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Re: Have you always had bikes since you were a kid, born again, or late to the party?

Post by asmethurst99 »

All friends had bikes at 16 - I bought a TS 90 at 17 which was never legal but I still rode it.
Lots of borrowing mates bikes but life got in the way -I always knew I’d come back to it.
Took my test at 33 in Romford not long after completing my Nurse Training as it was something I’d promised myself I’d do - 2 bikes in the lockup as I type 27 years later - had six months away when my GPZ 600 r got nicked .