Pace Cadet
11th December 2009, 08:18
Hello.
A (not particularly) short bio.
I've never really considered myself a biker. Cars have always been my main interest. I only got my license as a response to the dangerously elevated levels of road rage I was feeling stuck in traffic during my daily commute.
About a week after buying my first bike (Honda VT250 Spada) I moved within walking distance of my job and barely used it.
Shortly after quitting that job I became a courier, in a car, and driven by jealousy over how much money the bike guys made, converted myself to a bike courier for a year or so. I wasn't any good at it and actually went a little bit potty as a side effect of stress, the wettest winter since Noah was a boatbuilder, and I'm increasingly certain, some very targeted policing.
A new job in a new location meant the bike was no longer needed and I gave up riding. 3 or 4 years went by and I found myself looking wistfully at passing bikes, remembering fondly the good days (about 1%) and ignoring the ones with the wetness, the fear and the incompetence (the other 99%).
Long story short (no really. You didn't see the first attempt at this.). I now own a very tatty NC30 VFR400. I was regretting my decision until a Triumph owning friend cajoled me into doing an AMCC ART track day. It rained all day, but it didn't matter. Motorcycling has never made more sense. Being able to ride a bike as hard as you dare, without worrying about oncoming traffic, side roads, small children, loose gravel, over zealous policing or your visible lack of skill was a revelation. I learnt more on one rain-shortened Sunday than I had in an entire year of 12 hour working days.
The main thing that I learnt is that I have a lot to learn. Which is why I've signed up here. I intend to mercilessly pick the (grossly mutated and mildly terrifying) KB collective brain for all the knowledge I can. Then, hopefully, I may know enough to be able to give some back.
A (not particularly) short bio.
I've never really considered myself a biker. Cars have always been my main interest. I only got my license as a response to the dangerously elevated levels of road rage I was feeling stuck in traffic during my daily commute.
About a week after buying my first bike (Honda VT250 Spada) I moved within walking distance of my job and barely used it.
Shortly after quitting that job I became a courier, in a car, and driven by jealousy over how much money the bike guys made, converted myself to a bike courier for a year or so. I wasn't any good at it and actually went a little bit potty as a side effect of stress, the wettest winter since Noah was a boatbuilder, and I'm increasingly certain, some very targeted policing.
A new job in a new location meant the bike was no longer needed and I gave up riding. 3 or 4 years went by and I found myself looking wistfully at passing bikes, remembering fondly the good days (about 1%) and ignoring the ones with the wetness, the fear and the incompetence (the other 99%).
Long story short (no really. You didn't see the first attempt at this.). I now own a very tatty NC30 VFR400. I was regretting my decision until a Triumph owning friend cajoled me into doing an AMCC ART track day. It rained all day, but it didn't matter. Motorcycling has never made more sense. Being able to ride a bike as hard as you dare, without worrying about oncoming traffic, side roads, small children, loose gravel, over zealous policing or your visible lack of skill was a revelation. I learnt more on one rain-shortened Sunday than I had in an entire year of 12 hour working days.
The main thing that I learnt is that I have a lot to learn. Which is why I've signed up here. I intend to mercilessly pick the (grossly mutated and mildly terrifying) KB collective brain for all the knowledge I can. Then, hopefully, I may know enough to be able to give some back.