Question for bikers over 30 - Born again? Coming to it late? Never stopped?

[Rob Taylor]

Started riding at 13 ,now 51. Always had a bike to ride.Went to dirt bikes during kiddy time then back to the road.Yeehaa

[jim.cox]

I'm another of the "never stopped" brigade :)

[Beemer]

Always loved bikes, wanted one when I was a teenager (two of my female friends rode bikes and I was green with envy) but wasn't allowed one, so I made do with having boyfriends with bikes. Never crossed my mind to ask any of them to teach me, and they all had large bikes anyway so it probably wouldn't have been an option.

Fast forward to my late thirties. Working as a journalist and photographer and doing some work for Kiwi Rider. Got given arseholes for not riding a bike myself, so I learned to ride and bought the famous RG150. Went to a WIMA rally a year later where I met the poor sod who is now my husband, so it was worth it in many ways!

I've had my full licence for nine years now and really wish I'd been allowed a bike when I was 15. Who knows where I'd be now - I may have loved trail (or even trial) riding, and could have been having fun for 20 more years!

[Rogue]

Been riding for 34yrs never stopped

have no intention of stopping but I guess I might have to get a three wheeler some time in the very distant future

[Ixion]

Fark! That's old ! Are you going to frame the letter from the Queen?

[Mike748]

Once upon a time ...... I was mistakingly allowed to be pillion on the back of a cousins big black sportsbike, then to make sure I hadn't forgotten them I worked on an uncles farm during holidays and fooled around with bikes there.

A few years later I had my full licence but wanted a bike and found I had a snowballs chance in hell of getting one while living at home. This of course may have been because I had a problem keeping cages rubber side down and out of ditches.

15 years later my lovely new wife has a bike that needs selling so I fix it up. Hmmm best I get a licence to test it out .............

[BAD DAD]

Started riding to school at 16 and kept on untill early 20's when I sold out for OE. Housing and breeding took priority except for a couple of years ( I tend to be the last owner of roadworthy vehicles ). This was followed by a depressing period of approx. 9 or 10 years of hardly ever scoring a ride untill I finally got my hands on the '57. Soon after that I walked into a shop and bought a new bike. Compared to the past I ride at lot less than I like , but then I've managed to crash a lot less than I used to. So the last 4 or 5 years have been a highlight really. It's good to be back .

[biggles1]

I started ridding at 17 the cop rode behind me after telling me to ride halfway up Majoribanks St(a slight hill in Wellington) and do a full 360 without putting my feet down.Rode back to Peace House and wrote the licence.10 schillings!!!!Had a break for 33 years and came back 3 and a bit years ago.Will never stop!!!

[Insanity_rules]

Rode from 8 (mini dirtbikes) till 22 (Road). Got the guilts from the ex wife when my daughter came along. Divorced, married again, then on our honeymoon rented a bike and the addiction began anew.

Not long licensed though, thought if I'm gonna do this I'll do it right and legal.

[Gareth51]

Only allowed to have a car for school, left school and brought my first bike at 16, a BSA 350 and then a AJS 650 with straight thru pipes the noise must have pissed off the neighbours one was a traffic cop with another 1 street down and a policeman in between,all family friends, so I would get the friendly visit after the mad burn up around the block. Put a valve thru a piston trying to race my mate on his Bonnie up the main road in Newlands.That was the last bike I owned for 40 yrs. would ride my younger brothers bikes from time to time (wayne708 and Sels1)who finally talked me into buying a bike last year.Now loving it.Wife tells me every time I get a little bit grumpy it must be time for a bike ride, cus it makes me feel good.

[MsKABC]

15 years later my lovely new wife has a bike that needs selling so I fix it up. Hmmm best I get a licence to test it out .............

Of course it had nothing to do with the fact that she was further ahead in the licence stakes and you had to catch up? The excuse you always needed, heh heh. Thanks for the compliment btw (And he did fix it up a treat - it never ran better in fact!)

I started riding as a pillion with a boyfriend, ditched the BF but wanted to keep riding, so bought my own 2 wheels. Stopped for a few years but kept the bike, poor thing rotted away in a shed for a while Met Mike748 and twisted his rubber arm into getting it back on the road.

P.S. I did get my full before him, and yet I still haven't ridden the 748. What's THAT about???

[sels1]

Only allowed to have a car for school, .

Haha - and I was allowed a motorbike for school - some advantage to being the youngest eh bro??

[dave46nz]

Havent heard that one before......bought a smile without the throttle, but I get a big shit eating grin when I wind it on.....good one

[old git]

Started at 14 and 30+ years later , over 1,000,000 k , 17 bikes, 2 long stays in hospital and a few minors i'm still going!!. And mainly on a xs1100 that is 28 years old with 300,000+ k's on the clock.
But just ordered a gsx1400 that if looked after should just about make me feel like retiring to a cage by the time i've done with it in about 300,000 more k's. So for now while i can turn the right wrist i'll give it some and Have FUN rain or shine.....................

[CHOPPA]

My old boy started riding 4 years ago after a a 25 year break as soon as i got a job and could afford to pay for mx myself!

He is 56 and has just bought a new gsxr1000 (hes letting me ride it a taupo saturday) he just crashed his zx14 before that he had 2 hayabusas and a gsx1400!