When and why did you develop an interest in riding a motorcycle?
Mum and dad couldn’t afford cars so they had side car outfits with 3 seats in the side car! (wooden planks as I remember) and therefore bikes were a big part of my growing up.
Growing up on local farms it was a ’Rights to Passage’ situation so a Raliegh Runabout was purchased for pocket money (non running), striped fixed and then abused around the fields, followed by a collection of auto mopeds – geared ones were out of my price band.
At 16 there was no other option for commuting to my apprenticeship so a Puch M50S was purchased. Sadly, a bottom feeder of a bike but big bro had a FSIE and I wasn’t going to copy him. Big mistake!
How old were you when you first rode a bike?
As above, I believe I was 11 or 12 but my first geared bike was from a shop in Chelmsford (long gone) on my 16th birthday. No training, so the only option available was to learn quickly.
Of the bikes you’ve ever owned which was your favourite if you had one?
My bikes are now brought for pleasure so they have to perform and look good (in my eyes) so each replaced the other for good reasons. If pushed hard to pick it would be the GSXR 750 that I owned for many years, miles, and smiles. If my current Ducati could learn to like rain, then who knows it might get top ranking.
If you were given the opportunity to own any bike on the market which would it be?
Opportunity – re reworded as ‘capable of owning’ – it would be the V4 Panigale Tricolore.
What is your favourite motorcycle gadget?
If I could use it properly then SAT nav as it allows more concentration on the road and maps on the tank are just hard work. Heated grips are a must though, rather than a favorite.
Where is your preferred place to ride in the UK?
Any road will do for me – the less lanes and straights the better so B and A roads please and ideally without grass down the middle.
And abroad?
Same as above really but adding some mountains and hair pins gives more smiles per mile.
If you were offered the opportunity to go on an extended bike tour, who family members aside who would you choose as a riding companion?
Apart from them being safe riders, I would be wanting good conversation when we stop – thus Guy Martin, Barry Sheene, Shane Byrns or normal interesting people who won’t bore me! (Oops)
How would you describe to a non-rider the attraction of riding a bike as opposed to driving a car?
I believe you are either a biker or non-biker – a bit like food. Try it and if you like it don’t look back, just enjoy. If you don’t like it – no problem, just give us bikers a thought or two when driving.
When do you intend to give up riding?
I won’t give up – something will stop me that cannot be prevented.
Describe your scariest moment on your bike:
There have been a few – some hurt more than others and were not so scary.
It has to be on the way back from a trip to Wales when a poorly timed / planned overtake left me stranded facing an oncoming car – with nowhere to land and the overtaken car closing the gap preventing me from pulling in – wrongly I chose the brake option rather than diving into the small gap, luckily the oncoming van did the same and I slid in behind the car with the van taking some of the verge on his way past (ops). The lesson learnt was to make sure the vehicle you are overtaking is not intent on closing your landing spot and being an ar**, there is always a better safer opportunity round the corner.
