Your biking career...

[the_lone_wolf]

SO, Soulkiss's thread about his "bikeday" got me thinking

How long have you all been riding? Vote now in the poll

Also... What have you accomplished in that time? How many bikes have you owned? How many times have you fallen off? What do you still want to do?

Me? Passed on May 10th 2007, bought the SV, decided i had to buy a DRZ when i borrowed one as a courtesy bike 600 miles later then after riding a mate's KTM bought one of them

Dropped the SV on my driveway the evening before i was leaving at 4am to ride to lands end and back in 48hrs... Fell off the DRZ when i looked left, joining the road at an acute angle, looked back to realise the taxi in front was more stationary than i first imagined and grabbed a handful... Dropped the KTM on friday coming out of a hairpin on the track in 1st when i thought i was in 2nd

2 supermoto trackdays, where i learned to wheelie, change gear while doing so, stoppie and get the back end of the bike to slide nicely, plans for NW4 and a eurotour next summer, one puncture, countless new friends and acquaintences.

Still want to go off-roading and find a supermoto track with proper jumps, do something like the LWR/LWD trips, and own a litrebike for the absurdity of having so much power

2 years
3 bikes
2 small offs (no real damage to me or bikes)
25000 fun miles (no cumuting)
but more important great fun

I've had my lisence over two years, but I've had time on a scooter whilst under the CBT certificate for a few years before that. I first rode my SV on the 19th december 2006, when the odometer showed 18,450 miles. It now shows something like 31,200 miles (maybe a bit more?). I've dropped my SV once on maria's driveway, had several near-misses while riding it (thanks london drivers for not actualy wiping me out) and learnt a ruddy great deal. Its had 3 oil changes, one set of new front brake pads, a set of tyres and a change of brake hoses. I fitted heated grips which now dont work (so I'll be on my second controller soon) and fitted a topbox.

I've spent the final year of uni commuting 22 miles to kingston and 22 miles back home each day, done the AR08 with all you lovely .orger's, ridden to brands hatch and back quite a few times (oh yea, its on its second reg/rec with me, that died after all the excitment of james toselands double), done 105 motorway miles in freezing fog, ridden in snow (it wasnt settling, but it was bloody cold), ridden in torrential rain, hot baking sunshine, comfortable warmth. I've had one "oh my god someone wants to nick my bike" scare, done a good third of the miles on the bike with maria on the back.

I still havnt got my pegs down, still havnt got my knee down. I have pulled one wheelie.

Matt

4 years

3 bikes

2 off's (diesel and mud) 1 Crash, pulled out on.

40K miles.

[Skip]

Passed in April 2005 - cant believe its been that long already!
Bought naked SV650 which I tracked/dragged and took to the TT
Wanted something faster after a year so bought a brand new 2006 Kawasaki Z750S which I have tracked/toured UK and Europe and generally loved for the past two years - getting bored with it now though and fancy a change - thinking Tuono or SuperDuke next...
Mileage wise - put 7,000 miles on the SV in a year or so and put 12,000 on the Zed in the past two years or so - so nearly 20,000 in three and a half years - all pleasure miles
No drops or spills in that time *touches wood*

3 years,
3 bikes,
about 20K all in, mostly fun riding. some of that is from the CG an commuting.

Next year is time to get a dedicated track bike. may even do my ACU licence to compete on it as well.

[Mr Speirs]

Did my CBT at the end of June passed the DAS 15th July. Bought a mint condition 2002 SV in blue initially to replace my car for the commute but like my bike ALOT more than I thought. So thinking of now buying a 125 for my commute but also to get the missus on 2 wheels in the future.

I have done around 1200 miles so far and loving it more and more.
Although I have spent a fair bit of money in a very short period of time.

[dizzyblonde]

5 years ago..........hmmm 125 Honda rebel. dropped it down into next doors garden and in a mad rage threw it back up from literally upsidedown, and ended up being on steroids for a while after putting my back out
Then went on my DAS and the throttle cable snapped up a hill on said 125, scary ride home that was

Passed DAS exactly a year after CBT

Inherited Suzy rust warts and all, had her back on the road (from hiding 6 months in a dank dark garage) and threw her down the largest wettest pot hole possible, with full tank of petrol.

Bought Dave last year, and blasted bambi into 1 million pieces on the A65 on the way to the AR
2 months later did a tour de France, then 8 months later found I'd done that on a set of bent forks
Last week had my first bump n slide down the road on my head...4 days later got back on

Passed 29th July. Bought SV 29th Aug.
Ridden in rain, sun and fog (all in one day).
Ambition: never to crash! (so far so good...)
I commute on it, but my commute is open country A roads, so it can be fun, even when there's traffic.
Eventually I'd like a garage of bikes: a supermoto, a supersports, a cruiser and a classic.

[yorkie_chris]

Trials bikes for 8 years or so, fell off a lot.
CBT for 6 months... 10k+ miles on CG ... 1 big off shattered most of left wrist bones ... four impacts with sides of cars (mostly deliberate, bike was used as a weapon lol)
License gained last June, 20k ish? 1 slide down road due to silliness on a cattle grid on Mway off-ramp, 1 off due to too much gas on cold tyres.