Motorbikin'

Transport was a problem. Although there was an hourly bus, the last one home was far too early for respectable socialising so we had to rely on bikes or kindly parents. A car was out of the question, so as soon as I was 17 I bought an old motorbike. It wasn't much more than a pile of bits joined together but after many hours in the garage and help from a girlfriend's dad it was serviceable. In those days, if you had enough money you could buy a 250cc Japanese bike capable of 100mph+, jump on and probably kill yourself. Lessons were optional, and only the smartest or luckiest survived. I was lucky, only one spill in four years and my old Triumph Tiger was my main means of transport all the way through University. It all came to an end when I had to go to work in a suit, as my bike was greasy (like my biking clothes), unreliable and actually rather cold. I sold it and learned to drive a car instead.