What Have I Done Now ?

Waaaay back in 1990 I bought my very first motorcycle. It was a 1984 Honda CBX 750F. It looked all Buck Rodgers (kids, ask your parents) and I was hooked by the two wheel bug.

Over the years I upgraded to bigger and better bikes. Some Honda,

                                                                        some Kawasaki

                                                                   sometimes multiple bikes

Some race bikes

but, my last road bike was a 2000 model Yamaha R1.

Ahhh, the R1. To me, the most perfect sports bike I had ever ridden. It had massive amounts of power. It had huge brakes and you could use them while cranked over, in a corner, without the bike trying to run you wide and spit you off. And you could tour on it. And I loved that bike more than all the others.

Unfortunately circumstance conspired against me and in a fit of logic (be careful about letting your head rule your heart) I decided to stop road riding and get into dirt bikes. The dirt was good fun. No speeding issues, no traffic in the bush, but also no one to find you if you had a close encounter with the shrubbery. This meant always riding with others. The downside to this was that organising a ride partner became mandatory for a ride to happen. Just another hurdle erected in front of a ride.........so the dirt bikes went as well. For the last four years I have been getting my two-wheel-fix riding mountain bikes and reaping the benefit of hugely improved fitness as well.

I look forward to the mountain biking continuing, but the velos needs to be kind to their new stable mate.......

I always liked the blue R1 more..........

In the Beginning

Some times we get wrapped up with the seemingly hectic pace of life here in the 'teens. You can find yourself wondering if "this is it"?
I find it refreshing to remember why I am doing what I am doing and ponder how I got "here". I think back to another century, when things seemed a lot simpler....

1990 and life was good. I had my first flying job that paid actual money. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get by on and to get my first set of two wheels.

I will try to remember these days when I am hauling my backside out of bed at 4-in-the-am tomorrow to do "what I love"........