Big John
My motorbiking history:
I have been riding a motorbike since age 16 when I passed my test…I’m now retired living the dream and enjoying biking more than ever 🙂 My first bike was an AJS 350cc, used to ride to school on it…leaked oil all the time. I graduated to a Norton Commando 850cc which had an electric start!! Then kids came along and I had a few years off. One day I was in my car in a queue of traffic behind a slow moving tractor…very frustrating. Then suddenly I spotted a guy on a motorbike riding down the outside of the queue, he briefly slotted in just in front of me…then he was gone while I still sat there. 2 weeks later I went and bought my next bike..a Kawasaki ZZR 600cc !!! That was in the 1980s…I have never looked back since 🙂
The change in motorbike technology between the Norton and the Kawasaki was amazing…at 8000 revs the Kawasaki just took off like a rocket. I joined a motorbike club…PEMC (Professional and Executive Motorcycle Club) much more fun than it sounds. I went on my first track day to Brands Hatch…went round scrapping the pegs… didn’t have a clue, but I was hooked!
Next bike was a Yamaha YZF 750R…a proper bike…only trouble was the colour scheme..white, pink and blue! I even bought a white & pink helmet to match! I went on my first European trip riding through France to the Massif Central…great fun, now I was hooked on adventure!!
I went on the Keith Code Race school, level 1&2 and this opened my eyes and I got safer, but faster and faster on track…I was ready for my next bike…Honda Fireblade …Urban tiger. This was THE bike to have at the time and when I put an ohlins rear shock on I was flying.
I had always fancied another twin (like the Norton)..in 2000 Aprilia had just launched the RSV Mille R..1000cc twin single seat with full Ohlins suspension Oz wheels…sat on it at the NEC show and it fitted me perfectly (I’m 6’4..hence BigJohn) I went straight back and ordered one from my local dealer..the first one they had sold. What a great bike..and sounded like a proper motorbike with a Termignoni exhaust! I was definitely in the Fastboys group now.
I was hooked on trackdays…did all the UK circuits and several of the big European GP circuits with a great bunch of guys from Farside SportsBiking http://farside-sportsbiking.co.uk/ ; including Assen, Magny Cours, Barcelona, Nurburgring, Brands GP, Silverstone as well as lots of the smaller well known circuits in France & Spain…in all over 200 trackdays. I had a few minor crashes along the way, including breaking my collar bone at Val de Vienne in France ( funny how the corners change the faster you get)…rode home with it in pain. It all finally came to an end a few years back in Spain when I broke a couple of ribs (very painful)…time to hang up the race leathers I decided and concentrate on touring!
In early 2000 I was lucky to find https://www.rapidtraining.co.uk/ a group of ex motorcycle cops who started a business to teach how to ride safely and fast on the road. I learned so much from these guys and I recommend it to anyone.. what you will learn can save your life and make you so much of a better rider.
I sold the Mille after 15 years, did 35,000 miles on it. In 2009 I decided I needed a bike that I could really tour on…test rode a BMW R1200GS…fantastic bike…hooked again. My riding buddies took the piss..old git they said! Then they realised I was just as fast round the corners as ever and not sore and knackered at the end of a long day touring..3 of them went out and bought a GS…funny thing that 🙂 On my first GS I did 30,000 in 3 years including the BMW off-road school in Wales. In 2013 swapped it in for the new Liquid Cooled GS…made a good bike even better…30,000 miles covered on that one..and now on my 3rd GS and approaching the 60k mile mark..soon will have ridden 120,000 miles on a BMW GS.
Touring is now my thing…always guaranteed to turn into an adventure! Done lots all over France, Spain, Portugal, The Alps…longer trips have been to Dubrovnic and back through Italy. Also to Romania to ride the Transfargaran & Trans Alpina Highways. My biggest trip to date was 6500miles to Norway & Sweden in 2018. Closer to home I have found Wales, Scotland & Ireland…fantastic roads and scenery.
In 2015 I went to Thailand and did a tour through Thailand & Laos with Tony’s Big Bikes (TBB) https://www.tbbtours.com/ This was a fantastic adventure and so I went back in Feb16 to do Cambodia, Laos & Thailand. In Feb17 back again for Thailand and Myanmar. Great way to break up the long British winter 🙂 Thailand again in Feb 18; went to India in Feb 2019 for a change, but going back to Thailand in Feb20 with TBB again.
LIVING THE DREAM