When did you realise you were made for two wheels?

[Saralou313]

Was just wondering if everyone had a point where they realised they wanted/needed/was made for a bike?

Mine was about 2 and half years ago. My father-in-law had brought a Ninja and offered to take me for a spin. I was pretty scared if I'm honest, and after a couple of weeks built up the courage and he picked me up from work for a lunchtime spin. I came back with a grin ear to ear and put my car up for sale that night. As soon as I sold the car, I brought a Honda CG125 which saw me well for the 14 months I owned it. I then sold it to fund my test, brought the SV shortly after, but failed my first test (damn U-turn!!!:smt013). I finally passed a month or two later on my second attempt (September this year) and have been enjoying the SV since.

Pretty new to the biking scene, and don't really know too much technical, so tend to be quite quiet out and about. Anyone go to any meets in Gosport area?

Sara

[kwak zzr]

mine was in 1990 i had a suzuki FR50 then i upgraded to a suzuki GP100 lol, my first big bike in 1994 was a gpz500s, i have loved 2 wheels ever since.

[Girth]

I went to MCN Live weekend about 4 years ago with my family, only person in my family with a bike was my uncles. My dad hated bikes and my mum tolerated them. Was there and decieded i wanted a bike, so i bought all my gear there and then and bought a Honda NS125F when i got back.

Then sold that and got the SV650S then last year got rid of that for a SV1000S and never looked back since..................

[Frank]

Then sold that and got the SV650S then last year got rid of that for a SV1000S and never looked back since..................
Thats because we are all infront of you

[pencil shavings]

from day one! cars never interested me, knew i would be on a bike as soon as i could! :)

[Neeja]

I needed cheap transport so went for a CBT, since I couldn't finish driving lessons due to injured shoulder making gear-changes a nightmare.

As soon as I got the bike onto the open road on the second stage I was hooked, and haven't driven a car since, despite a healed shoulder.

[Shellywoozle]

10 years ago I wanted to do my bike test but never did. God knows why it took me so long.

[kwak zzr]

10 years ago I wanted to do my bike test but never did. God knows why it took me so long.


glad you got round to it eventually cus i met my bessie mate hehe:D

[Woz]

I've always wanted to ride a bike but my family always said I couldn't/shouldn't. Then in 1996/7, I had a short lived relationship with someone who made me realise that I was stopping myself from doing something I really wanted to just because my family didn't really like the idea. A month after that conversation (and incidentally, two weeks after the relationship ended) I passed my DAS and had my first bike. I've never been without one since.

I am eternally grateful to that lady for encouraging me when no-one else would.

[Brettus]

I had a Honda melody 50cc that I rode on dirt tracks near my dad's land when I was 10, fully enjoyed myself and wanted a bike on the road but didn't get around to it till I was 23. but I've always liked and wanted a bike. :smt026
Only did my car test because it was a condition of employment.:smt102

[Shellywoozle]

glad you got round to it eventually cus i met my bessie mate hehe:D

LOL oh yeah know I wish I hadn't done it ! (Joke)

I did it so I could get on the bike team in the job, hoping to further my career, all I did was bugger that up by comin off a week after a months attachment. I'd impressed the Insp too LOL, think he changed his mind after my off LOL :smt090 Best thing I did tho !!

[custard]

i can remember being 10 riding through country lanes on my BMX thinking this would be ace on a bike. and frankly its utterly skill :)

only took me another 15 years to realise the dream. and yes. those roads are great!

[lazymanc]

When I was about 12 or 13 my dad used to work with a crazy German lad who raced bikes on the weekends. I kept asking him questions about riding and to shut me up he brought me an A3 print of a photo of him with his knee down during a race - it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen and it spent a good few years framed on my wall.

Had other priorities for my cash while I was a student, and never really had enough to splash out since then, but earlier this year I decided I was finally going to get involved after my car got nicked and I needed some new transport. Been loving it ever since, learning to ride was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Now I just need to get my knee down so I can pass a photo onto some other impressionable youth :) Failing that I've still got the original somewhere...

[lily]

first went pillion when moved in with drew in January this year (my parents wouldn't let me while living at home) fell in love with being pillion. From about May i was going on to drew that i wanted to ride rather than just be pillion. We looked at it and realised it would be about 2 years away. Something changed after the AR this year. I really wanted to ride. We moved stuff about and within a couple of weeks there was a SV in the garage and I was booked in for my CBT, Theroy Test and DAS or A2 test.

Mid August i passed A2 and after 2 months of riding my SV i am fully in love with it!

[mister c]

Sort of grew up around bikes. Both my next door neighbours had them & let me sit on them when I was about 5 or 6 & loved the smell & sound of them. They were British bikes in them days. Also when I was about 15 or 16 we had a bunch of H.A. move into a house about 6 doors down from us. They were riding British Choppers, Harleys & 1 lad running a CB750 Sidecar outfit on car wheels & tyres.

I waited till I was 17 then bought my 1st bike & promptly crashed it about 3 weeks later. It never put me off & I have never been without a bike since. :cool:
Became a CBT Instructor 7 years ago & completed the Cardington assessment 6 years ago. I love bikes & couldn't do without them I don't think :)

[northwind]

I did it by mistake... We used to go to the speedway racing all the time but that's not really motorbikes, it's more death-rockets on wheels, so I never made any connection to road riding. Still don't!

For me it was all economic, supposed to be a cheap and fast way onto the road, and no more. Didn't quite work out like that, it was a slow and expensive way onto the road, then it snowballed. And one day, while rewiring my virago 125 in the snow, I discovered that I actually loved this stuff :smt058Then I met the SV.

[TazDaz]

When I was sat on the motorway, not moving, and counted about 30 odd bikes go past me within an hour or so. That's the first thing that got me really thinking.

Then I did my test as I wanted to get it done before the changes to the system were made.

Passed my test first time (some how) and went to the bike shop and bought me an SV.

Rest is history.

[Pam]

I'm 28 so about 28 years, never been interested in cars. 11 years for my health to be good enough, brain scans, diff doctors making sure im fit, then a long paper work battle with the dvla and doctors. Friends taking me pillion on their bikes, 130mph round bends kissing the grass, trying to scare me. Didn't work just wanted one even more!!
Finaly got my first bike, the sv650 in June 07 passed in sep 07. got the bike knowing I would do whatever to pass my test and never looked back. can never see me owning a car. love every second on my beast in all weather. I was made for 2 wheels, even have my own built in crash helmet?? lol

[Ceri JC]

I was about 15 and really wanted one. Wasn't allowed by my parents so waited till I had moved out and totally independant of them and it was pretty much the first thing I did. Initally bought as an evening/weekend toy, till I realised it would slash my weekly trip home by at least half an hour. I then started using it more and more as transport, to the state where I now do about 5x the mileage on my bike that I do in my car. I ride primarily to get hours of my life back (and not be bored whilst commuting), but find it good fun too.

[G]

I have always liked speed/going fast/motors so it was an inevitable transition I think.

When I moved out it was an obvious oppurtunity as I knew my mum wouldnt approve.

[dizzyblonde]

I always wanted a purple Harley when i was a kid. Glad my taste changed, my parents could never understand the fascination I had with bikes. It seems its rubbed off on my 20 month old nephew, he ain't too bothered with car spotting like most kids usually are, he goes mad when he sees a bike, and shouts my name and points at it as they go past...
I'm going to make sure he thinks cars are rubbish as he grows up...lol

[rictus01]

no realisation as such, just always prosumed, if I had to put a date on it, it'd be 1965 when I first rode a PTW, not been without at least one ever since.

Cheers Mark.

[Skip]

I can put a date on it - January 2005 - had a Mitsubishi Evo at the time and was facing yet another £1100 insurance bill - I had one mate who rode bikes and thought it was something I would like to try one day. I happened to mention it to another mate that I might do my CBT to see what I thought of it and he said that he had been thinking of it too. CBT was booked and just that one Saturday morning was enough to get me hooked - I have never looked back!

What drew me to an SV? I knew NOTHING about bikes at all and went to a local dealer for a wander - he had a "clean blue naked bike" - had a sit on it and it felt comfy with the nice upright bars - looked at the badge "Suzuki SV650" - whats one of those like I wondered!?! Started it up and loved the noise - got home and Googled it - found the 'Org and the rest is history :D

[vardypeeps]

Since my first job after leaving school one of the guy's who worked there did racing and kept the massive wagon in the warehouse next door. Bright Orange it was. They had a little Honda scooter that they used in the pits and they left it out in the warehouse. The guy said that if I got some petrol for it I could ride it around. Sure enough I got some petrol and on my lunch breaks the warehouses and car park became a death zone due to me flying around without a care and no helmet for that matter!

Since then I have had a Honda Joker/Shadow 50cc, Aprilia Atlantic 125cc, Honda NSR 125, Suzuki Bandit 600 and now my SV650s.

[captainsmelly]

been a petrolhead all my life, but all the family hated bikes, so i had to supress that side of things despite being in awe at the superbikes racing past our car on journeys.
my wife hired me a caterham 7 for my birthday in june this year. so after tearing round surrey all day (+falling in love with ranmore common!) i knew that there was no way i could carry on my life without at least as much performance (300 bhp per tonne in t'caterham) had some fast cars before but need more! so i steamrollered my wife into allowing me to get a bike, told my mum halfway through the training.
got me sv, can't stop riding it! (untill my wrist goes numb, like now)

[krhall]

I have always loved cars but did my DAS as a means to an end, as using the car was getting beyond a joke. Still didn't really like bikes and then I sat on my SV, drove it 200m and fell in love with it, loved it til the day I sold it................there is no way I would go back to using a car.

[Grinch]

I expect is was my Grandads fault, taking me pillion on his C90. Along with my Dad and his horror stories of coming off his Norton and having the gravel scrubbed out of his knee. Sometimes he was nice enough to show me the bits he still had stuck in there.

[startrek.steve]

40 years ago!
I was 11 years old and used to go straight from school to the local bike shop to drool over the kawasaki 500's! AND they still sold REAL nortons and Triumphs then!

Steve:compress:

[Alpinestarhero]

When I used to run out to my dad, when I could hear him riding home from work on his loud cb750; I'd stand outside for about 2 minutes until he came into view :lol: My earliest recolection of that friggin awesome bike was when I was about 4 years old.

Here's a good representation of the bike that i spent hours sitting on in the garage asking dad "whats that? how does this work? how fast do you go? whats the word you've covered up on the number plate?" (in small letters at the bottom of the plate was f****ng quick...dad had to cover it up so we didnt learn naughty words. I learnt the word when I was 5 after my older brother peeled the masking tape back while mum and dad where out back doing the garden):

http://motoprofi.com/bikephoto/42/honda_cb_750_f_1982_1.jpg

[Dave20046]

I don't think I am, I can't stay on the things :(
But at the same time I can;t keep off 'em :-?

[AndyL]

Same old story here too, wanted a bike for as long as i can remember but due to the parents not allowing me too whilst I lived at home I couldnt get one. Therefore when I graduated form uni in July I booked my CBT and lessons and DAS, passed my test 5 days ago and collected my SV650 4.5 days ago!!, moving into my own house on friday (the bike is currently hidden at the girlfriends mums house, lol) so the bike will no longer have to remain a secret :D:D:D

[ricky_t]

For me it was either one of two times.

In 1992, I was 6 and went to India with family. One of the family (can't remember) had a new motorbike (can't remember.) I was sad between two member of the family between the pillion and rider's seat on a bike. It scared me a quite a lot but I enjoyed it.

My parents being the medical field dissuaded myself from purchasing a bike but after playing with a friends bike in his family field I wanted to get a bike.

I bought a 2005 CBR125 and then got the SV in 2007.

[Interceptor]

About 1978 15 year old, Saw a Silver Honda CBX 1000Z, in Alan Watson's Showroom window in Dewsbury, went to Dewsbury nearly every Saturday, just to press my face against the glass and look at those 6 shiny exhausts, a daily topic of conversation at my High School, for months on end......, finally got to take one for a blast about 10 years ago when my mate bought one....... AWESOME (complete with marshal 6 into 1 on it, with nearly all the glass packing missing).......you think Yorkie Chris's is loud, add ANOTHER 4 cylinders......:shock:

[sinbad]

Always loved the idea of a road bike, I'm a big fan of the racing too and always have been.
Finally got around to actually getting a license in October 2006, but I don't think you can really know if motorcycles are right for you until you've had some time on one. I think it took me about 6 months to realise I wasn't going to get bored, I loved trying to get better at it as much as anything else, and I also realised that I just didn't want to use the car any more.

[john2811]

30years ago, I used to wag the odd day off school to take my turn riding my best mates 100cc trials bike around his farm and woodlands; had the bug ever since. :-)

[BBadger]

my chav beating 50cc vespa.
Then sv650 to follow on from being a pillion on a ST4 and harly for my life!

[Dave20046]

Same old story here too, wanted a bike for as long as i can remember but due to the parents not allowing me too whilst I lived at home I couldnt get one. Therefore when I graduated form uni in July I booked my CBT and lessons and DAS, passed my test 5 days ago and collected my SV650 4.5 days ago!!, moving into my own house on friday (the bike is currently hidden at the girlfriends mums house, lol) so the bike will no longer have to remain a secret :D:D:D
I'm the opposite. Luckily (I think) my parents have accepted that it's something I want to do and are being really good about it. Since my bad crash my dad's offered to replace my lid and even help out with advanced bike lessons!
I started out with a scooter when I was 16, god knows why but I saved up bought a peugeot scoot did it up and ran it (held a lot of cans under the seat too :P ). With the money I made off that I bought a cbr125 (awful bikes) got knocked off that and bought a kwak ar125 (awesome) to do up sold that making me a fair few hundred and paid for my bike lessons & test. Bought me a sv :D....and killed it.

[Dave20046]

my chav beating 50cc vespa.
Then sv650 to follow on from being a pillion on a ST4 and harly for my life!
was it an ET or a proper vespa?

[BBadger]

was it an ET or a proper vespa?

ET2 geared to the max and with a race pipe ... bring it chavs !

Ahh same for me
my parents just excepted that i would either ride a bike with or without them, so helped pay for my lessons and insurence.
Then after i passed my dad drove with me for a few trips till he was happy i could handle the big bike safly.:D
Never looked back
or at a car;)

[Stig]

As soon as I lost my stabilisers at the age of 4 and realised the bike could LEAN. From that moment on it's been nothing but two wheels for me. My son is exactly the same. He's been riding push bikes without stabalisers for a year. He's still only 4 now.

[Smoggy]

My mum and dad both had bikes as I grew up. - Both used to be instructors.
Pillion alot as a kid and before I got my own.

Got my 125 and had a world of fun on tiny back roads, now the SV and loving it more. :D

Even had both my parents encouraging me, offering to lend money etc...And now asking for goes on the SV, haha..

[Dave20046]

My mum and dad both had bikes as I grew up. - Both used to be instructors.
Pillion alot as a kid and before I got my own.

Got my 125 and had a world of fun on tiny back roads, now the SV and loving it more. :D

Even had both my parents encouraging me, offering to lend money etc...And now asking for goes on the SV, haha..
Sounds brilliant. Have you picked up good habits from them?

[Dave20046]

ET2 geared to the max and with a race pipe ... bring it chavs !

Ahh same for me
my parents just excepted that i would either ride a bike with or without them, so helped pay for my lessons and insurence.
Then after i passed my dad drove with me for a few trips till he was happy i could handle the big bike safly.:D
Never looked back
or at a car;)
Brilliant! Race piped ET's sound like harleys lol.
I never intended to get a car but it opened up loads of jobs for me so passed my test and got a job I like. But I don't actually own a running car now I just use works when my bike's dead :p. Which is far more often than I'd like :rolleyes::(

[sv-robo]

1978 when i was 7 rode my mates ranger 50cc trials bike,then progressed to a yammy80.From the age of 12 i used to ride my dads big bikes gsx's etc on the road with him pillion(top bloke mi dad:))until i was legally old enough to be on the road on my own bikes.

[Paws]

ALWAYS loved bikes, used to sit on my dads moped in the back garden pretending to ride it.
It was my ex that pushed me into doing my cbt and then 2 years later my test and im glad i did it :)

[Lou M]

Pillioned with my Dad when I was a kid, but hated it. Then pillioned with Mr Lou when we met, hated that too. Took me a while to realise that I did love it, but hated not being in control. That was 10 years ago, took my test and have never looked back.

Recently thought about giving up the bike, but a few days later realised I couldn't do. It's in my blood.

[Saralou313]

My mum hated the thought of me having a bike when I got my 125. Even more so when she found me underneath it one evening (I had been putting my gloves on and one fell off the seat, I stupidly leant over the bike to pick it up and the weight of my very heavy bag made me lose balance and I pulled the bike over - can I just add I am five foot and a tooth pick and a bit of a weaklin! :)) She found it pretty funny once she realised I was ok. She cringed everytime I mentioned getting a bigger bike, right up until about 3 weeks ago when I took her out pillion on the SV. Thankfully (and touchwood) I havent pulled the SV over on to me yet! :)

[ArtyLady]

In 1975 when I went on the back of a boyfriend's Honda (cant remember what sort) pillioned thereinafter and took test in 2002 :cool:

[ooger]

2006/7's New Years Resolution: "Fix eyes:Ride"

A combination of 'youre not getting any younger' and 'just because its dangerous, you probably shouldnt' pushed me further. First bike, second year of insurance....all good so far.

[silverelephant]

As long as I can remember I've wanted to do it but always had people round about me who disapproved. Mum passed away 18 months ago so I kinda did it to pee her off (and because I realised life was too short) I can still see her shaking her head in exasperation every time I get kitted up :D

[Lozzo]

When I had a ride round the block on the petrol tank of an RAF BSA my grandad brought home when he was still in the mob - I must have been about 4 or 5 and decided then that bikes were what I wanted more than anything else. I rode one on my own for the first time when I was 8 or 9, a Mobylette, then various other mopeds, and had my first attempts at a geared bike n a Suzuki TS90 (I think, it may have been an 80) when I was 10 or 11. I'd always wanted bikes for fun, cars were simply transport, even at that young age.

[warg60]

Once I got on a friend's moped at 15 and when up and down the lane :)
My missus is more interesting. She got to 54 claiming they were dangerious devices and not letting our daughters even try them. However, as part of our "try everything before you die", she went on a one day CBT and that was that.
She is so addicted to her 250 Peugot maxi scooter, she goes everywhere on it. The 4x4 sits rusting in the road, and we have even spent our holidays touring around on our bikes this year (instead of heading for a beach in Europe).

[Smoggy]

Sounds brilliant. Have you picked up good habits from them?

Nope, lots of 'bad' ones. :p
Having my dad teaching me to wheelie is always a good memory haha..

After spending time with him on the road I can ride all good and proper when I actually try - But its just a rare occasion I actually do try. :shock:

[Sid Squid]

I've been around bikes all my life, my dad rode, my uncle still occasionally does.
I can't remember a time when I didn't want to have a bike.

[idhazel]

had a dt50 at 16, sold that and bought a Gp100 shortly after.
My dad said i should drive to get on in the world, so i sold the Gp and funded my car test. i have had a lot of cars but they never really did anything for me, i fixed them if they needed fixing, washed them if they needed washing......kids are now grown up, wife is now an Ex.
Passed my das a month ago and bought an sv650 pointy k3...ha ha ......i'm ALIVE
i'm a rapid response driver so i suppose the car license came in handy..x
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