So on Saturday I celebrated 10 years since my first CBT. I don't know if anyone else marks those kind of significant dates, but I wanted to. My Sprint ST 1050 is the first of the 6 bikes I've owned that I have lusted after before I purchased it, all the others have been a case of discovering love (Particularly my other bike, a 1989 CBR 600 F that is so loud it's actually rude, but in beautiful condition. I own her because a friend snapped her up as a bargain but couldn't bond with). So as you can imagine, a ride out on my Sprint was top of the list in ways to mark the day. So a friend and I took a ride out to Matlock Bath, somewhere I had yet to visit with a bike. The day didn't start too well, as my friend's BMW K1300S had a 'soft' battery that was struggling to hold enough charge, fortunately the local mechanic was able to source a replacement within 30mins. It was warm enough to enjoy the day and being able to cut the Sprint off the leash to chase down my friend on his BMW was a lot of fun. I'm a far more confident rider, so through corners I was MUCH faster, which meant that while he demolished me on straights, I had an excuse to use full power and I carry a lot more speed through corners. We racked up about 160 miles all in, had a really nice fish & chips and an ice cream in Matlock. Perfect way to mark 10 years of riding and the start of riding season Only snapped a couple of pictures, mostly of the bikes parked up at various points.
Happy anniversary! Shame the Bikers gearbox isn't there any more. Mind you, it's been nigh on 30 years since we were last in Matlock. Lovely roads for a blast What date did you pass your test on? I passed (what was part 2 then) on Valentines day in Newcastle under Lyme, and the examiners name was Fullelove, which I thought quite appropriate. Passed first time too.. Got my first 'nod' on the way home after stopping at Keele to rip the leper plate off. I hadn't taken it off straight away, I was so stoked at having passed and forgot
5th December 1990. I did my car test in the morning, and my bike test in the afternoon. (Passed both, first time of asking!)
[wanders off to find wallet/driving licence] 20 Oct 1986 so it will be 33 years for me this autumn. Sounds like a good enough excuse for a celebratory ride out somewhere nice. Especially as it's a Sunday this year!
Passed bike test in March/April '67 and passed car test September/October '67. Can't remember exact dates. Passed HGV Class one test around March '87. It all seems so long ago. Passed 'em all first time though - and yes, I agree, fookin' smartarse!
Car test September 1976 CBT: May 2014 Mod 1: March 2015 Mod 2: March 2015 Every day's an excuse for a celebratory ride!
Car test first, Aug 9th 1979, Bike test 1st Aug 1980, HGV Class 1 passed 1st April 1991, all passed at first attempt, smug or what!
Bike test May 1966. First time pass. I had to take the test on a borrowed Lambretta scooter .... and me a putative "rocker"!! My POS AJS 250 died a few days before the scheduled test, and went to the great motorcycle resting place in the sky a few days after the test as I'd (somewhat presumptuously) bought a 1958 T110 to begin my long, but definitely not illustrious, association with Triumphs. I was still at a very "upscale" grammar school at the time - the 6th form prefects wore 'gowns' over school uniforms; the masters were obliged to wear gowns and mortar boards (except for Woody Willcox who wore a woodworking overall, natch.) when on duty and brutal, physical punishment was the order of the day for obnoxious little tearaways like me! I was "caught" travelling to school on the 'bike and my parents received a letter to say that it was not permitted for pupils to ride motorcycles to school as it did not "accord with the image and status of the school" and that I would be expelled if caught again! Had to park the bike about half a mile away and walk in! In those days helmets weren't compulsory. Car test July 1967. First time pass. Rather ironically, I felt, I failed to get my California car driver's licence on the first attempt in 1988 - despite over twenty years experience of driving - in an area (south of LA) where the driving "standards" could not have been much worse! Apparently I was "too cautious"!! Go figure our colonial cousins might say! Nostalgia, eh? Sure isn't what it used to be .........
I passed my full bike test on the 15th June 2015, 3rd attempt. first CBT on 23rd March 2009. No car yet. Was on L-Plates for most of that time, had an 8 month spell off the bike due to redundancy, but other than that, it's been pretty constant. I remember all 6 bikes (There's a sort-of 7th, was sharing my partner's bike for a while) I've owned and the names I gave them (Yep, one of those types...) Bike 8 was a courtesy bike that remains the most fun I've ever had, despite being a 125 because I was still on L-Plates.
Cleared to fly solo (gliders) in 1967, bike test 68 and car 69. Bike test was on an Ariel Leader (borrowed for the purpose). It didn't have an ignition key, but a screwdriver did the job, but the screwdriver lived in the storage box (fake fuel tank), which did have a key. Each time I stopped for the next instruction, the examiner made me switch off the engine. So I had to dig in my pocket, get the key to unlock the box, to get the screwdriver to turn the ignition off. Once instructed on next step, turn the ignition on, put the screwdriver back in the box, lock the box and put the key in my pocket. Then ride off round the block out of sight of the examiner. But I passed. Oh, and he did describe a road sign and asked me what it was. I didn't know, so he pointed to the one above his head and I told him what it meant. That was the one he was describing. Doh!
Bike test in 1975 on my Starfire. A week before my test the kickstart ratchet gave out so my neighbour lent me his yam 125 trials bike, bloody 2 stroke and it hasn't moved for a while or been looked after? It kept cutting out and was a bitch to start, I didn't eant to risk the test on it so I called the test centre and told them I had a problem with my kick start and asked if I could bump start my own bike. Unbelievably they said it was ok as long as the bike wasn't dangerous. The test went quite well . I bump started the bike and all was good till an unscheduled emergency stop caused by a car pulling out. I fuckin stalled it and had to bump start up a slight hill, luckily the tester hadn't seen me and I passed first time even though I couldn't remember he traffic light sequence. Lol, still can't sometimes
