This was my Sons motorbike, he graduated to a car after, got fed up with getting wet.
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My son had one like that but it was all black, very nice and went like a rocket. He tired of the expense of running it, the insurance plus the regular new tyres were costing more than for a car so he changed over to four wheels. 
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My Son still hankers for another bike, but he aint getting one. 
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I often hanker after riding a motorcycle again and thatās after 50+ years! There is just something so different about riding motorcycles, itās a challenge with far more skill required. However, the roads are far too dangerous now I reckon. I could easily go and buy another one and where I live the roads are very quiet. What decides me not to though is still suffering the effects of the last motorcycle accident all those yearsā ago. In the winter or any chilly weather my knee plays me up, there lies the lesson learned the hard way! 
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To true Baz, we all learn hard lessons over the years and come a cropper now and then, I just look back now and thank the gods that they let me survive. I donāt ride now, my wits arenāt keen enough, the machines are much too powerful and itās much too dangerous out there with all of that traffic. Had my good times though, and happy days they were too. 
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Yes, sometimes it does make me wonder, even today, how we survived. One of those times was when one of the regular crowd managed to get a puncture. Off came the front wheel and away we went with it to be repaired, then back we came with it all done. That was one of the times when, although I like speed, it was almost terrifying sitting on the pillion with that wheel balanced on my knees at 100mph plus! Despite the dangers though, it was all part of it, they were good, happy days!
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I think people would be better car drivers if they started on a bike.
You have to be very aware of the road conditions and the proximity of other traffic when you are on just two wheels.You have to think ahead,slamming on the brakes to get you out of trouble is not an option.
y
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I couldnāt agree with you more on all that. Motorcyclists also know the importance of regular maintenance, even more importantly they appreciate what tyres do and just how much grip they have, or not as the case may be. Car drivers may have four tyres but some have no idea of how small that patch of rubber is that keeps them on the road. Even now in a car with very good brakes and tyres I still drive looking half a dozen cars ahead, force of habit I guess but very often it also does pay off.
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Hi Smiffy, l had the same girl problem wiv my bikes!! My missus is Greek and so didnāt know what she
was getting into, LOL! She used to sit nicely on the back of my 650 BSA gold flash no bovver !!
Then we got a car and that was that 
Donkeyman! 
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Electric is vicious, Bomber trials on Thursday.
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Yeh, l fink your right there Smiffy !! Every one should start on a bike !!
I also found it was better to accelerate than to brake??
I remember when some old codger tried to kill me as l was overtaking him by moving out to force
me into the bushes on the right, my shoulder scraped along his driverās door, but l got through ok!!
and was gone!!
Donkeyman! 
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The complication of Girls has long gone, Its just a case of comparing Leccy and Petrol, like for like, and social acceptability along the way. 
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They reckoned that a kick from a panther would launch you over the roof fruitcake ??
But they were VERY SLOW ??
Donkeyman!
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My first vehicle was a 1978 Suzuki 400 GS ( 4 stroke ) which got driven through the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and driven half way across Canada. ( in late teens, early twenties ) Banff and North of Lake Superior was amazing.
Later I bought a 4 stroke Kawasaki Ninja š„· which I loved. It handled so well but my husband made me get rid of it so I gave it to a dear friend.
Something I deeply regret.
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It must have been a very dear friend 
This reminds me of my scariest moment.My mate and I both owned a big old Ariel with a side car.We spent two weeks in France but the side car in the UK was on the nearside and in France the offside.We took it in turns to drive but for me it was just the once sitting in a metal box in the middle of the road with mad French people driving at you.After that I went on the back of the bike.
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Canāt fault you mate, that sounds terrifying! 
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Donkeyman, It was a strange beast with the engine being part of the frame, and having a wet sump, but without a chair it handled remarkably well.
I always kicked it over with a bent leg otherwise yes, it would throw you if it kicked back.
I quickly learned to set it to fully retarded and pull in the decompression lever before kicking it over, then letting the kickstart pedal back up before engaging compression.
Magneto ignition, and done like this it faithfully fired on the first kick every time.
Being a meanie I would set it to fully advanced and get people to see if they could start it, and I didnāt tell them about the decomp lever either. 
Yes they were slow, but I really enjoyed riding country roads at 50 to 60 - ish.
Psmith, when I was an apprentice living in a hostel on Filton Aerodrome, a mate of mine bought a Ural Cossack with a chair for Ā£80 back in the seventies. The Russians copied the German BMWs they captured during WW2 and mass produced them, but with inferior materials. It was the newest bike anyone I knew owned, but it was cheap because it had a bent valve. That was swiftly rectified by my mateās colleague who operated a lathe at work.
I only rode it once, and with nobody in the sidecar which was of course on the right hand side.
That was scary just trying not to hit anything coming the other way.
I only tried once to ride an outfit too. It was on an Ariel 650 that a mate of mine had, but he had replaced the handlebars with clipons way down the forks and the beast was impossible for me to keep straight. I only drove it around nine miles and how we survived unscathed Iāve no idea, but I swore then never again, and never did!
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Yeah, l remember l had a job to get anyone to keep the third wheel on the ground Smiffy !!
I drove my Vincent Rapids( with Jet 80 sports sidecar) from London to Greece on me" oneymoon" ?
And when we got off the ferry in Calais it took untill Basle in Switzerland before l got used to
wrong side of the syndrome??
Luckily me bride offered to keep lookout for meā:grin:!!
I was a bit dodgy going DOWN the at Gotthards Pass coz due to going down on low throttle for so
long one of me plugs kept oiling up? And the only way to clear it without stopping was to give it
an andful every now and again !!
Memories is made of this eh??
Donkeyman! 
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