View Full Version : How did you get into biking?
cerruti
06-09-12, 02:06 PM
Who do you blame for getting you into biking? ;D
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news--general-news/study-says-biking-is-in-the-blood/21351.html?
I personally, I blame Oldfatboy - he threatened me at knifepoint to get on the back of his bike and when I refused he threatened to kill a puppy if I didn't learn to ride myself ;D
A13X4ND7A
06-09-12, 02:32 PM
I cant say I agree with the article that its in my DNA to ride a bike, none of my family ride a motorcycle of any kind and are very much against it, however, my father is/was very much into fast cars.
I wanted to ride a motorbike more than I ever wanted to drive and at the age of 16/17 my parents wouldn't let me. It was a big NO WAY. So I passed my car test at 17.
It wasn't until I met Rob that I had the chance to ever get on a motorbike.. and well after a trip on the back to Stonehenge and around Wiltshire I was totally hooked.. and 2 1/2 months on... well you you know the rest.. I go on enough! Might be 11 1/2 years gone since I first wanted to, but better late than never I guess!
Not sure i agree with it either but...
My Dad was a biker, my uncle, 2 of my cousins and Uncle Roy was a speedway rider :)
It was on my bucket list to pass my bike test. I did my CBT, bought a 125 and did my DAS a few months ago. Another tick on my list of things to do before I die. I didn't, however, expect to get bitten by the bug but once I'd been on my own 2 wheels (I'd ridden pillion for years on my ex-husbands bike(s) without ever considering riding my own bike) I couldn't stop. Got divorced 7 years ago, wrote my bucket list 4 years ago and started working on it straight away.
I bought a Hornet and can't get out on it enough. :-*
not sure on the link :-/ but i just thought one day riding a bikes gotta be more fun than sitting in traffic on the way to work and the rest is history :)
Lying on the beach on holiday one year, idea popped into my head - "might learn to ride a bike". Nobody else in the family rides, didn't know anyone who rode..which is why I started WB so I'd have someone to ride with :)
Going pillion around the County Ground car park illegally at 14, trying to ride a trials bike at 15 (and falling off cos I couldn't reach the floor) started it........then the idea went until I went pillion with Kev for a year or 2...... Then somehow I thought I want to do it myself.......it was a struggle to find a bike to fit but, determined as I was, I did and here I am lol......rally driving is next on the list.......one day maybe lol
Dunno it started when I was about 12 :-/
My family used to have a history of biking with my Uncles racing them up in Cleveland a few Years back.
If the article is to be believed I guess I got a bit of that DNA from them through my Mum.
But none of my immediate family ride. Motorbikes have always had just a general appeal for me. The performance and enjoyment of a sporty, flash car in a much more affordable package.
I love my daily commute to work, the only other place I've had that same feeling is throwing a Kart round a racing track when I had a racing license. Now I get to do it every day on a bike.
When my mum was expecting me, her brother (my late uncle) Barry took her for a burn on the back of his Beezer round the North Circular to the Ace Cafe (when it was merely a cafe and a rockers' hangout, before it became a franchise) and I reckon it got into my blood then.
My parents bought me a moped for my 16th birthday, as they did for my three younger brothers as well, a shrewd move to stem the incessant requests for lifts. Bikes were a passing phase for my brothers, none of them went further than a 125, though one, Mike, did pass his test when he was away at Uni as he'd learnt that he could drive a Plastic Pig with a full bike licence, and he couldn't afford to learn to drive at the time and he'd grown tired of the slog home to Northampton from Hatfield on his GP100 in Winter. The redoubtable Pig kept him warm and dry until he passed his car test. As far as I know, he only time he rode a big bike was when I gave him a go on my Genesis in 1988.
less than gentle persuasion from a friend as I couldn't afford to run my scooby any more but wanted the rush :P
Marmalade
06-09-12, 07:58 PM
We all chipped in to buy some old 50cc stroker wreck aged about 12 which we thoroughly thrashed around the fields with the occasional word in the ear from plod rather than a record and impounded bike.
This sort of thing carried on until I was 16 and told no way could i get a bike for the road so I went ahead and did it anyway, rented a garage for a tenner a month, sent off my £15 for provisional, bought a A50P, taxed and insured it and took it home to show parents.
the rest is history
They've never been happy about me riding but they deal with it.
Dad i believe had a small bike before i was born and never went for his test so not really in the blood.
Two of my older brothers had bikes in the days of up to 250cc on L plates but never took their test. I used to sit on their bikes when I got home from school and pretend! They left home and took car tests instead and I did the same. Late 20's and I took up with a biker and the rest is history.
BB
Conehead
06-09-12, 08:22 PM
My brother had a DT50 that I used to nick for joyrides at the age of 13. Guess it just went from there.
It's in my blood and genes I guess.
My grandad had the following bikes
1. Vincent Black Shadow
2. Matchless 350cc
3. And a couple of Ariels
When I was 18 I was learning on a geared 125cc but my parents could see that I was a bit competitive, and would probably kill myself on a bike at that age - so I did a deal with them to pay for my car driving lessons and 'stop the bike side of things' - I agreed and didn't get back on a bike until last year. I'm a bit less competitive but wiser now, and I absolutely love riding (in all weathers) My grandad was a TT'er and I will probably pop over to the IOM to see what it's all about - because I like a challenge!
Age 16 on a 50cc. Bought 125 passed test and it stuck 20+ bikes later I think I'm getting the hang of it!
Oh yeah and my dad used to ride a bike so he couldn't say no. ;D
Always been into hotrods and there would always be a few bobbers and chops kicking about at the shows. Did my test just incase i ever wanted one and got hooked. I've even built a workshop and started building bikes for other people. Now the car's on SORN and the bikes have taken over.
wiltshire builders
06-09-12, 10:53 PM
I completely agree with the theory about biking being linked to genitics.
My Dad used to sit me on the tank of his TY175 trials bike and pop wheelies, later it was on his 250 Maico.
When I turned 11 I opened the garage to find a knackered 50cc Italjet motorcross bike and together we restored it.
I'd always messed around with mates on bikes growing up.
The decision to get on the road came when, my best mate Lee, rocked up on his new cbr and took me for a spin.
I'd not had a bike for a couple of years but it was like a switch had been flicked on and couldn't be turned off.
It's in my blood and always will be. It's just who I am.
Inherited for sure ;) :)
I've been researching my family tree (blame a certain TV programme) and it made my day to find an old photo of my Great Granny on a bike :) :) I also have a great Aunt who used to ride a bike in the early 1900's.
There's no one in my family who has ever been near a motorbike. I don't know where it came from but for me it started at the age of 12. I picked up whatever I could from "Motorcycle Mechanics, Bike and Superbike" mags and had a Honda dealer near to where I did my weekend work whilst I was at school. Used to go there every lunchtime to oggle the bikes.
My parents offered to buy me a car if it kept me off a bike, but nothing was going to deter me so saved up and bought a Honda Superdream in 1978 whilst I was at college. Never having even sat on a bike before, I rode it out of the showroom with the mechanic on the pillion telling me what to do :o Been riding ever since. Passed my car test 5 years after taking the bike test in 1979. Later in life, both my brothers had a flirt with bikes, both passed their tests and at one point my elder brother bought a Harley which lasted about 6 months. Its only me that ride's now much to my mum's continued displeasure :)
Geordie Stu
07-09-12, 01:42 PM
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)
07-09-12, 02:24 PM
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.
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.
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
07-09-12, 10:51 PM
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!
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
08-09-12, 08:53 AM
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
09-09-12, 01:37 PM
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 :)
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 ::)
Mitch9128
09-09-12, 03:34 PM
Saddam Hussein got me into biking, the cheeky rascal.
The first gulf war kicked off, and they were sending everyone on any driving courses they could get them onto. Some got HGV, some got bike, luckily i got bike, otherwise i'd be murdering prostitutes instead.
Dad had bikes, brother had bikes so bought a Suzuki AP50 when I turned 16. Stopped riding when I bought a house in 1989 and got back into it when my lovely wife said buy a bike instead of the car I was looking at. Had a 1200 Trophy as a refresher bike and did the bike safe course (A must for born again bikers) and have now had lots since.
I now wouldn't dream of giving up
I blame my dad and uncle. Both are brit bike nuts and are into restoring and riding.
started as a pillion as soon as I could hold on and went from there. Passed my test at 19 and bought a 250N Superdream.... went from there.
Like many others here, think I caught the bug from my Dad.
As a newborn I was collected from Hospital in a 1939 Norton ES2 outfit (cost Dad £45.00)
http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff325/Simpsons1979/Mum-1.jpg
Dad had loads of bikes when I was young and used to go out to buy another and come back with it in an old tea chest in bits with a big smile for his latest “project”
He did vintage trails & road runs for a long time, here’s a pic of him with a 250cc Panther, obviously lovin it ;D
http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff325/Simpsons1979/Dad.jpg
Reading the above posts, it looks like us "Dads" have a lot to answer for ;)
G
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