50 years of biking

**ellipsis** · 2nd March 2018, 17:24

Originally Posted by jasonu

Old gits get some of this up ya!!!
Attachment 335550 Attachment 335550

...there are far more immediate and effective products than that stuff...the same product I've used for 46 years now...broke the bone that connects my leg to my hip on my first bike...a day in hospital and six weeks drinking Bavarian Bitter and Wards...never failed yet...the Wards was good but looking back I'd have to say the Bavarian was ineffectual...

**Grumph** · 2nd March 2018, 18:18

Originally Posted by ellipsis

...there are far more immediate and effective products than that stuff...the same product I've used for 46 years now...broke the bone that connects my leg to my hip on my first bike...a day in hospital and six weeks drinking Bavarian Bitter and Wards...never failed yet...the Wards was good but looking back I'd have to say the Bavarian was ineffectual...

Yep, Wards was good for what ails ya. The OP was in ChCh and in our race crowd in the late 60's early 70's - probably drank as much of that as you or I.

**Oakie** · 2nd March 2018, 18:19

Originally Posted by ellipsis

...there are far more immediate and effective products than that stuff...the same product I've used for 46 years now...broke the bone that connects my leg to my hip on my first bike...a day in hospital and six weeks drinking Bavarian Bitter and Wards...never failed yet...the Wards was good but looking back I'd have to say the Bavarian was ineffectual...

Wards. Now that takes me back. And I remember as a high school student, wining half a dozen Bavarian Bitter at the local football club in a raffle and having to get it home on my pushbike.

**ellipsis** · 2nd March 2018, 18:30

Originally Posted by Oakie

Wards. Now that takes me back. And I remember as a high school student, wining half a dozen Bavarian Bitter at the local football club in a raffle and having to get it home on my pushbike.

...I suppose this is all relevant and not too far off topic, but I reckon that you had to be there...it's all a vivid blur now...a box under each arm and a brisk walk up a big hill didn't seem to be such a feat then...

**release_the_bees** · 2nd March 2018, 19:15

Well done to you all. I'm coming up to my 20th anniversary of getting a bike licence. So, based on your examples, I've (hopefully) got many more miles of riding to go yet.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

**AllanB** · 2nd March 2018, 19:32

Thought I was doing well at 37 years of MC licence. And a bike in the garage for all of them.

**FJRider** · 2nd March 2018, 19:39

Originally Posted by cassina

I have been riding for 42 years. Not having a midlife crisis and stopping riding for a number of years has possibly kept me safe as well as experience and luck.

I've been riding 44 years ... planning on having a mid-life crisis in about 15-20 years ...

Until then ... I'll just keep on riding ...

**YellowDog** · 2nd March 2018, 19:44

I passed my bike licence test almost 40 years ago, but failed to send in my paperwork (didn't know I had to and thought the examiner did all that). I have ridden regularly since that time and in 2004, when I bought another bike, the garage asked to see my licence. I showed it to them and they told me I am not licensed to ride a motorcycle over 50cc. That was a bit of a surprise

Amazingly, I managed to find the original paperwork, from the 1970s, showing I had passed and called to see if they could correct the error. They said 'No-Way', so I had to sit a full theory & practical test again. Called for a cancellation and had my licence back within 2 weeks. So it's just 14 years for me

**pritch** · 2nd March 2018, 20:02

Congratulations Slofox. It does seem though that your thread is another that has sadly fallen prey to the resident hijacker.

Anyhoo, next year it will be sixty years since my first inelegant attempts on a sprung hub Triumph Speed Twin. So bad that it greatly amused a bus driver waiting to make his return run along Rosebank Road.
In those days Rosebank Rd was all market gardens, I guess that has changed but I haven't been back since, I've avoided Auckland for decades. I'm still grateful to the trusting soul that let me use his bike.

Had to wait until '61 for a licence.

**old slider** · 2nd March 2018, 20:26

My mid to late 60s after school job at a Wanganui coach builders (John Brown) saw me learning to drive a Bradford bread van and probably one of the earliest Suzuki step-throughs, got stopped driving both on two different occasions by a uniformed man on a motorcycle and was told I was far too young at 13 to be doing such things, I felt quite small pushing the bike back to its owner.

On the day of my 15th birthday I successfully sat my license and eagerly waited till Colemans Suzuki ( my mom worked there, and I had an after school job) opened their shop so I could buy my brand new AC50, I managed to ride it for two days before losing my license for 3 months.

A bit of motoX and owning various brands and sizes of motorcycles, marriage and kids came and then when in my late 20s dabbled for a few years in speedway. A decade or 2 shooting deer and catching fish for a living saw me abandon Bikes until my midlife crisis, or was it some spare money and time that allowed me to re-enter the two wheeled brigade.

**Conquiztador** · 2nd March 2018, 22:59

After 46 years with a bike license I have no idea what I will do when I grow up. Apart from keeping on riding!

**roogazza** · 3rd March 2018, 05:45

I don't believe it at all but next month on 10th April I turn 69 !!!!! jeeeze!
That means 54 yrs at the bars !
Off for a fang today as soon as its light enough.
I said to a mate recently that I still feel the same when the hat goes on early in the morn.It could easily be 1972 with my Kawa H2 when I fire my GSXR up first thing.
(no smoke tho, I miss the smell !)..

**pete376403** · 3rd March 2018, 08:18

All you oldies, keep the comments coming. I've just turned 65 ( so, bike licenced 50 years) and you're giving me hope for a few more turns on the merry-go-round

**nzspokes** · 3rd March 2018, 08:27

Originally Posted by slofox

Seems to me I have had a bike licence for 50 years this month. After getting pinged for not having one...

If I'd known I was gunna live this long I might have taken more care...probably not though.

Wow, you got your licence the year I was born.

Good on ya.