I wasn't allowed a motocross bike as a kid as my mum is very anti bikes and my dad had his reservations also. They did let my ride my mates bike round his field but that's as far as it went. I left home at 21 and the first thing I bought was a KX250 and loved it even though it was brutal at times. Got my first road bike at 24 and mum was convinced that I would be dead within the week. It was a ZX6R which I had for 3 years before buying a brand new GSXR600 but at 30 I was forced to sell it to keep the other half (now ex) happy and taking her and the kids on holiday. I had 7 years of not riding (crap times) then when we split up I bought my blade. Loved it and met some great mates and people through riding, been all over the UK and did my first trip round Europe this summer. Done nearly 20k miles on it in 3 years. Mum is slightly less worried now but she would prefer that I didn't ride. Dad just lets me get on with it and he was happy that I did the advanced training through IAM. I now own 2 bikes ( 1 road and 1 off road) and my 14 year old son also has his own motocross bike and being a great dad I made sure it was a Honda too.
At 11, me and my next door neighbour and brother saved our dinner money and bought an old motorbecaine off a lad for £11. At 12, I decided I needed to generate some money to buy my own bike, so saved my spending and paper round money to buy a Labrador pup with the intension of breeding her. That plan failing, at 15 dad bought me a rough Honda MT5 which I duly stripped to bare frame and rebuilt ready for road riding. At 17, 1985 I bought a RD125lc, which dad duly replaced with a snot green Austin allego and there ended my bike riding days. There where various nice cars, Capri, GTE's, Alfa Gtv, three Porsche Boxsters etc.....then.... 26yrs later, I flew over the IOM, came home and bought the first bike I could find CBR600fx, then a GSXR750k8 and a VFR800, both of which I still own. Mum and dad weren't happy when I started with he bikes, but they both say "you've done so much and been so many places and met so many people, they've bought so much more to your life than any of the cars ever did". I now have a bird who loves the bike........but I still dream of owning a Blade Also, what I find helps is to have courtesy and respect for your loved ones, as soon as your back from a ride, give them a call and let them know your safe and had a nice time.
