Before you got a car, did you have a moped?
Discussion
Yep. Bought a 1959 Moto Morini 50 with a plan to restore it ready for my 16th but lack of parts meant we never got it done.
Bought a Yamaha FS1-SE (the custom Fizzy!) for 60 quid and used that instead. Loved it.
Sold the Fizzy but kept the Morini and 25 years later about the only good thing to come out of lockdown boredom earlier in the year is that the Morini is back together
Bought a Yamaha FS1-SE (the custom Fizzy!) for 60 quid and used that instead. Loved it.
Sold the Fizzy but kept the Morini and 25 years later about the only good thing to come out of lockdown boredom earlier in the year is that the Morini is back together
Fire99 said:
I had a Yamaha DT50 pretty close to my 16th birthday so I could legally have my own transport. Car license came the following year 
That’s what I had. And promptly fitted it with a big bore kit from a less than reputable Southampton back street garage. The reputable ones wouldn’t fit one Short intensive course starting on my 17th birthday to get my car licence 2 weeks later.
Quite fancy a 125cc DT now as a muck about toy.
Shnozz said:
That’s what I had. And promptly fitted it with a big bore kit from a less than reputable Southampton back street garage. The reputable ones wouldn’t fit one
It pains me to say I did very similar. Big bore kit, 'Racing' reed valve, Gianelli front pipe, DEP Sport can, 3 inch jack up kit. All this on a brand new bike. What was I thinking???? hahaIt went really quickly........Occasionally..
I had an aprilia rs50 at 16. Got it from a proper dodgy trader and it was a bit ropey to be honest. No idea what had been done to it but it did an indicated 60mph.
2 weeks after my 17 birthday I did my bike test and had an aprilia rs250 ready and waiting to go. Selling that bike was my biggest motoring regret.
It was only as autumn set in and the weather got worse that I did my car test.
2 weeks after my 17 birthday I did my bike test and had an aprilia rs250 ready and waiting to go. Selling that bike was my biggest motoring regret.
It was only as autumn set in and the weather got worse that I did my car test.
Like many others I went down the FS1E rout when I was 16.
Before then though when we used to ride old stuff over the fields I had an NSU quickly, a C50 but my favourite was a very used 1958 New Hudson autocycle which had a 98cc Villiers engine that a friend and I owned. I'd love to get another but the reality is I'd never use it so it would just end up on display in my front room.
Before then though when we used to ride old stuff over the fields I had an NSU quickly, a C50 but my favourite was a very used 1958 New Hudson autocycle which had a 98cc Villiers engine that a friend and I owned. I'd love to get another but the reality is I'd never use it so it would just end up on display in my front room.
hyphen said:
Nope. But I think a CBT should be mandatory for any car learner, as it opens your eyes to how vunerable a biker is.
Some of my relatives don't Have the balance for a bicycle, but seem okay with 4 wheels, so can only imagine the carnage your idea woukd cause.I did the Star Rider scheme on my 125 in 1984, aged 17 and there was a bloke, in his 40s who was so scared that when we went out training, he struggled to get over 40 mph on a 70 mph dual carriage way, and when he did the amount of 2 stroke oil that came out of the back was amazing.
When we all went for the part 1 test, somewhere at a school payground in Liverpool, he managed to fall off twice trying to do the figure of eight.
Whilst we waited, my mate went on the other playground and practiced bunny hops. He had a proper pukka bultaco trials bike which his dad had managed to make road legal. Seat was about 1.5 foot off the floor. Ian Moody where are you now?
NDA said:
I didn't take my test until I was in my mid 20's. Before then it was bikes - although not cameras!
Pretty sure my first bike was a Honda 250 'Super Dream' (teardrop shaped tank) and a few in-between. Finally a Z1100 until I passed my test and had a car.
The teardrop tank was the honda Dream, the Eurostyle was the Super Dream. Luckily they abandoned the Superdedoopity Dream.Pretty sure my first bike was a Honda 250 'Super Dream' (teardrop shaped tank) and a few in-between. Finally a Z1100 until I passed my test and had a car.
Honda C70. Was living with my older brother in Eltham but working in a hotel in Marble Arch. Didn’t have it that long. Went to visit a friend in Berkhamstead for a weekend. A long way on a C70. Started playing up on the way back - stalling as I was going around Hyde Park - and then about 200 m from home I crashed it (was really tired, car spooked me, it was wet, I grabbed a handful of the front brakes and down I went). Knackered the forks and it was a write off.
Embarrassingly in relating this story I think I’ve worked out I wasn’t insured. Older brother is a bit of a Del Boy - not an out on out criminal but not exactly kosher either. He “borrowed” the money for the C70 from our grandmother, bought the bike and sorted it all out for me (he was always massively into bikes so probably trying to infect me). On reflection I suspect he didn’t bother with insurance and me being naive and never having owned a car or bike didn’t think to ask him.
I did end up “infected” with a love of bikes, although there was a few years between the C70 and my first proper motorbike.
Embarrassingly in relating this story I think I’ve worked out I wasn’t insured. Older brother is a bit of a Del Boy - not an out on out criminal but not exactly kosher either. He “borrowed” the money for the C70 from our grandmother, bought the bike and sorted it all out for me (he was always massively into bikes so probably trying to infect me). On reflection I suspect he didn’t bother with insurance and me being naive and never having owned a car or bike didn’t think to ask him.
I did end up “infected” with a love of bikes, although there was a few years between the C70 and my first proper motorbike.
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