Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
When I was about eight, my Dad built a mini bike and taught me to ride that. He was a mechanic for the local speedway team so we often had riders over at our house, getting their bikes worked on. He built mini bikes for a couple of the riders too.
A few years later, Dad built a scrambler with a real clutch and gears. My brother and I learned to ride that. One Sunday morning Mom had gone to Church and was expecting us kids to come to Sunday school later on. Instead, we went out with Dad and the bike. I hit a bump and went over the handlebars into a thorny bush. No real damage, but there were a lot of bleeding grazes. I believe that Ma and Pa had words about that outing!
After that, Dad bought the title to a wrecked Yamaha FS1E sport moped. (As per this month's AMA mag, it was a 49cc cafe racer.) He would put that onto his trailer and we'd go to Sunday classes. (Mom had given up on the Sunday school thing by now). Dad taught students in the British equivalent of the MSF. I'd join in with the students, on my own bike.
On the dawn of my 16th birthday, I geared up and took my bike out at 5am, for my first time ever on the road. Dad followed me on his Honda 90. A year later, I got a Honda CB200 which was kitted out with a full touring fairing, crash bars, top box and side bags. I met a guy who also had a CB200, and had his bike done up similarly. We did a lot of miles on those bikes.
Short interruption in our respective riding careers, to get married, buy a house, raise a couple of kids, move to America. Then as soon as we were able to, we each got another bike and the rest is history.
Jill
A few years later, Dad built a scrambler with a real clutch and gears. My brother and I learned to ride that. One Sunday morning Mom had gone to Church and was expecting us kids to come to Sunday school later on. Instead, we went out with Dad and the bike. I hit a bump and went over the handlebars into a thorny bush. No real damage, but there were a lot of bleeding grazes. I believe that Ma and Pa had words about that outing!
After that, Dad bought the title to a wrecked Yamaha FS1E sport moped. (As per this month's AMA mag, it was a 49cc cafe racer.) He would put that onto his trailer and we'd go to Sunday classes. (Mom had given up on the Sunday school thing by now). Dad taught students in the British equivalent of the MSF. I'd join in with the students, on my own bike.
On the dawn of my 16th birthday, I geared up and took my bike out at 5am, for my first time ever on the road. Dad followed me on his Honda 90. A year later, I got a Honda CB200 which was kitted out with a full touring fairing, crash bars, top box and side bags. I met a guy who also had a CB200, and had his bike done up similarly. We did a lot of miles on those bikes.
Short interruption in our respective riding careers, to get married, buy a house, raise a couple of kids, move to America. Then as soon as we were able to, we each got another bike and the rest is history.
Jill