It all began with a Yamaha FS1-E (thanks Matthew) in popsicle purple.
Then I rode my sister's Suzuki TS100ER, and fell off it at least once. The seat on this was mostly Duct Tape and it used to freeze in the winter. Then it would gradually thaw as you rode it, leaving you sat in a very cold puddle.
Followed by a Yamaha DT 175MX...(more of this later as I lost this and still haven't found it!)
A terrible Yamaha XS250 (thanks again Matthew, I believe you found this in someone's overgrown front garden and persuaded them to sell it to you for £50). At one point I think my sister left this in a bike rank in London for several weeks and no one stole it...can't believe the ridiculous prices these are fetching now.
At around 19 I gained a Suzuki GSX550EFE. Absolutely loved this bike...(more of this elsewhere as I fell off this courtesy of a wasp).
I then bought my first ever new bike - a Suzuki GS450E, and ended up as a motorcycle courier. My sister crashed this for me!
The above was part of a Seven Suspension Bridges ride for Children's Charities (Bike Aid) in the mid/late 1980s.
At the same time I bought a project - a Kawasaki GPz550. This was a bit of a shed really. Thankfully I don't have any pictures!
The GS450 and the GPz I sold on the same day, then drove to Hampshire and sold my MG Midget, then bought a Fiat Uno. God knows why. Adolescent brain probably.
Not having a bike didn't last for long, and while out to pick up a can of deodorant I wandered into a bike shop in Swindon and bought a Yamaha RD350R (the twin headlight one made in Brazil). Happy Days, always wanted an RD. Still do.
A few months later one of my work colleagues reversed a transit van over the RD. Cheers Val.
Peter Hammond Motorcycles kindly took the damaged RD in part-exchange for a new Yamaha XJ600S Diversion (thanks Dave) which I kept for a long time and did a lot of miles on.
Convincing myself that I needed to slow down I then bought a Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster...
When I sold this I needed to commute to Bristol - Matthew came up with an XT350
Given my short legs and my struggles kick-starting this it didn't stay for long.
Being fairly skint and trying to be sensible I bought this:
It was inexpensive, reliable and dull. So I sensibly purchased a BMW.
I could just touch the ground on this with my New Rock boots on. I purchased it as an approved used from Oxford BMW - apparently the previous owner had spent time on Death Row in the USA! Who knows?
The BM was eventually replaced by another 883 Sportster, which was not as good as the first one, and that was replaced by a 1200 Sportster, which was a laugh to ride as long as the road was completely dry.
In amongst all of this I had a XT125Xand a CRF250M as well. The CRF was fun.
and as you can see in the back of the above photo this led me to the Mad Orange Thing!