I have been riding motorbikes since I was 16, the minimum legal age back then. To start with it was simply transport and I distanced myself from the stereotypical biker image. But when looking for my first brand new bike I started reading bike magazines and I got hooked. Then it turned into a way of life. I love riding my bike, especially touring, although I don't find much time for it these days.
None of my bikes have been particularly powerful. Light weight and good handling have always come before shear power. But some have been just plain quirky.
My first bike was a simple British 2 stroke. Easy to maintain and reliable - at least when seen through rose tinted glasses.
Very torquey from tick-over, making it quick from the lights, but top speed was limited to 50 or 60 MPH by unbearable vibration through the bars. Somewhat older and less looked after than the Bantam, it had no end of problems and was eventually sold in pieces.
My first brand new bike was an MZ TS250, followed by the improved TS250-1. They were good practical and reliable bikes, but somewhat unfashionable. They were particularly at home and good fun on the back roads, but also well capable of distance, the TS250-1 taking me to comfortably to Rome and Venice. They showed me that you don't need a powerful bike to have fun, and gave me a taste for lightweight bikes that handle well. The TS250-1 later sported a Briggs sidecar (during winter at least), and I kept it when I bought the Morini. Much later I bought a disc braked TZ250 as a 2nd commuter bike.
One of the best handling bikes of its time, with an easy going grunty engine, and incredibly frugal (at a price). It was one of the first batch to arrive in the UK and I bought it before it hit the showroom. It was full of character both good and bad. It needed constant attention, although never actually let me down unless I did something stupid.
The first was written off after a car pulled out on me. I liked it enough to buy another, slightly updated version known as the Sei-V after its 6 speed gearbox.
I was offered this cheap from a colleague, and thought it would be better than the MZ for sidecar use. A hark back to the past - essentially a WW2 BMW built in Russia. It had a certain charm about it that made it quite likeable.
I thought the reliant engine would be more reliable than the Russian one. It was let down by some design issues though. But it was a real crowd puller.
A stop gap between the Morinis. I liked the mid-sized engine squeezed into the small frame, gave it a nice manoeuvrability, but otherwise rather dull.
I eventually tired of the Morini's high maintenance and looked for a more modern bike. I also thought a trail style bike would be more suited to the narrow rural lanes where I was living. The F650 seemed the answer. It was nice enough road bike most of the time, but it was disappointingly poor off-road - the suspension was too harsh to go fast, and the engine too intractable to go slow. But mine had a problem that only showed up on long journey when the engine got hot, when it wouldn't tick over without masses of revs. Maybe it was responsible for the poor low speed performance as well.
The Dakar was totally different: extremely tractable and a delight off-road. I don't think there was anything about at the time that could match it for overall ability to cruise in comfort, tackle the twisty back roads, and then keep going when the tarmac ran out. One of the best if not the best of the 'Big Traillies' off road, it still makes a decent road bike - one with a difference - and excels on today's poorly maintained and speed bumped roads.
Fed up with the see-sawing stops and starts and sluggish handling, I decided to go back to a full on road bike and something lighter. The Duke certainly sorted those things out. It's a brilliant bike that's once again outstanding its own little niche.
Much as I liked the Duke, it never quite felt at home in town or on narrow Peak District back roads. and missed the long soft suspension of the Dakar. The Fantic does that in spades and has been a brilliant choice. It really is fun, and manages to bring back all the joy of riding that I felt in my biking heyday. My first one was stollen within a week and trashed by a bunch of joyriders, so I quickly bought another. The Caballero feels so well suited to the wonderful roads round here.
Deciding to replace the Duke turned out such a good move for my biking life. The process of looking round at new bikes got me out riding again and I started enjoying the Duke more, nearly changing my mind about downsizing. The new bike has me out riding too. I've' joined a local club, and put on more miles just lately than I have over the past several years put together.