How did you get into biking?

[Roxy]

In the blood!

[Geordie Stu]

When I turned 16 most of my mates had a Yamaha FS1E, so it was a case of can't beat them join them 1st bike was a Suzuki RG50. kept it at a mates house ;D

[Senna(Dan)]

I don't agree with the article.
Mine came from being on a family holiday in Italy and see motorbikes everywhere, fell in love with the MV F4 and decided from then that I wanted to ride motorbikes.
I now own my F4 so my bucketlist of bikes is done.

[awol]

My dad had an excelsior 250 then a 500 bsa and finally a650 goldflash
with sidecar, my uncle nobby was killed by joyriders on his bike in 1963.
I was a hippy until I was 19 and got fed up with buses bout my first 250 royal Enfield crusader sports.

[Col]

Well guess it was more to speed up my mahoosive paper round up as had a lot to carry on a bicycle-even one with a metal frame basket on the front ;D

I got a moped so could load all my rounds papers morning and night on the luggage racks and side bags 8-)

Had a Cotton/Villiers scrambler to race but quickly became aware that the only route to success was to have expensive bikes and gear and loadsa cash which I didn't have

[Davehsw]

Mine is the most boring reason: I took the bike test with Mr Able as it was the only licence category I needed to complete the set. Took the test purely to acquire the licence, but ridden ever since and currently do not even own a car. No-one in the family has a licence and parents very grumpy about me on a bike!

[YMFB]

My father and uncle had motorbikes, I was nearly born In a sidecar when the Goldstar caught fire, my father drove into Bath bus station to get a bucket of water and my mother was locked in with flames coming up the side. That was 1964 and they had numerous bikes from Bantums, the Goldstar was bought as a project. By 1967 they could afford a van so gave up motorcycling.

At 16 we lived in a rural village in Staffordshire and along with most of my friends had a 50 to get to work and college. It was an AP50 in red, oh how I wished kept it. I lost a few friends from college and as my mother couldn't drive I was forced into not getting the X7 or RD 250 I really wanted.

In 1984 we moved down south and afters few years I realised that getting around the tristate area of Dorset/Hampshire/Wiltshire was difficult in summer.

Although there was no need as I had a car licence and was old enough the CBT was not a required I decided to do it and had lessons at the old Salisbury cattle market, now waitrose.

My first proper bike was a Honda VT250 in black, but I very soon got bored and traded it for a GS500E, which I had for a fairly long time. That was traded for a Ducati ST4 and in turn that for the K1300s I now have.

I have had a Dr350 and KTM 400 EXC for green laning, sadly both gone and a Funduro which I traded for an F800 GS.

I no longer own a car although my wife does. I commute and do blood running for SERV Wessex on the GS.

I'm not sure I agree that it's in my DNA because prior to the late 80s most lads and certainly some girls had no choice.

[Demonbaker]

When i was at school some of my mates were in to bikes and used to read MCM etc. During the holidays i would go to there place and mess around with old bikes on their farm. I pestered my parents for a bike and eventually i got a 50cc Italijet mx bike which we would take with us when my dad was racing cars in Autocross with the likes of John Button (Jensons Dad) and i would ride around the track the night before when it was quiet.

This eventually got me joining Ringwood Schoolboy scramble club which was probably one of the best in the country at the time with future top riders like Jeremy Whatley, Kevin Froud to name but two. I packed up riding when i had to progress to adult level but took it up again in my late twenty's and raced with Andover AMC. When i found i was getting a bit long in the tooth to be battling it out each week with teenagers who had no fear i once again packed in riding.

I had no plans to ever get a road bike but fate took its turn and i ended up hanging around with a few people that were into bikes and when some money came my way i did my DAS and bought a 600 Bandit and never looked back since.

[lolliver]

My Dad's always had bikes since he was about sixteen and I believe that his Dad rode too.. I definitely would agree that it's in the blood!

I was hooked from the moment I went pillion on his Triumph Trident when I was a kid

[Loops]

I wanted to be able to ride a moped in Greece - so I did my CBT and decided I'd quite like to ride a motorbike all the time ;D

I'm the only real petrol head in my family, both my parents aren't interested in cars or bikes except as transport. Although my dad did have a Lambretta scooter when he was youger. I think he gave it up as soon as he got a car though :