Tuesday 29 May 2012

I feel a bike coming on.

A hankering.

I've had motorbikes on and off all my life. The first one was moped, the old type with push bike peddles so you could help it to get started. I think the engine was about 50cc and I bought it off an army family who were moving on. I paid 16 shillings (80 pence or about a USA dollar). You did not need helmets and the bike was to small to need road tax. So I paid the money and rode off. I was 16 and had been in the army for about eleven months. Yes I joined when I was fifteen.
My Dad went off the deep end, we had a row, he told me to take it back. I hid the bike at a friends house and we rode the bike out on the Downs (horse training area) all summer. Well until we ran out of money for petrol, petrol was about 5s 3d a gallon.

I love being on a bike, I still have a full set of leathers in the attic, but I'm sure I don't have a helmet. The last bike I had was Kawasaki 1000 GTR. It would stay in the garage until I got the urge and then I was away.
Land's End, John o'Groats (that's a long way up) all of Ireland (north and south) and Germany.



This picture is of the bike, I never really took many of the bike. The building with the spiral ladders is the guard house to Roberts Barracks, Osnabruck, Germany. I spent 37 days in there before I was shipped off to finish my 'time' in Colchester Military Correction Centre (yup, nick). I better tell you before you think I'm a mass murderer, I smoked some dope.

This is Jim Avery and me about a year before we got court marshalled, hardly a couple of junkies. I was convicted on his evidence. I don't blame him, Military Police can be very persuasive. I got six months because I was deemed to be the ring leader, Jim got four months. We both got thrown out of the army.
I'll tell you about Colchester or Colly as it's know though out the forces, one day.

Anyway, I'm hankering for a bike again. A few years ago I got talking to a man who had a Honda Goldwing, all mod-cons but a bit naff. I took it round the block, it rode like a dream. The balance is perfect and even though they are quite a heavy bike because of the balance are great to drive with plenty of power
I've just found this picture, I think we had just been to Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone. We had a tent, two sleeping bags rolled up on the back and all our cloths for a week in the panniers. With 2 men and all that stuff it was heavy.





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