All winter I’ve been looking in the back garden at this silver shape, with black hoops peeking out at the bottom. Most of the time I forget it’s even there. Every day I get up and go to work in a nice, warm, heated seated box, listening to comfortable (old school) rock, trying to avoid the potholes left from the snow and every now and then think, it’d be nice to get my bike out when the weather gets better…

Well yesterday the sun came out, for probably the first time this year and I approached the silver shape with trepidation – knowing that the battery charger and extension lead would need to be found before I could go anywhere. Dragging the silver cover off the bike revealed my utterly dejected 1200 Bandit, the tank and seat covered in paw prints and fur where the cat had been taking shelter under the cover together with some nicely progressing rust spots and green mildew – awesome!

Now came the moment I’d been dreading – would it start? The first thumb on the starter let me know that the battery had survived the winter well and had life! Then on the third try it fired up! Well three cylinders is better than none right? So I left it running for a while until it was nice and warm and (almost) firing on all four then went in search of the bucket…

So (and this is a rare thing) I got the sponge and bucket out and washed it down – hurriedly I might add, as the sun could disappear at any given moment – this is England after all. The Bandit scrubbed up pretty well considering it’s total neglect (I think I last rode it in October ’09?)

Quickly getting my helmet and stuff on and out onto the road I figured I’d better check the tyres (last time I did this I had about 18psi in the back tyre and wondered why cornering was getting wierd!) This requires the skills of a Krypton Factor contestant, with the garage air lines designed for cars and not for bikes – trying to manipulate the nozzle onto the valve is frustrating to say the least! Much swearing and scraped knuckles later, the tyres are good and full of air and the street is now fun.

When I get on the bike after a bit of a layoff I always mentally tell myself to take it easy, then the feel and excitement of riding very quickly takes over and OH YEAH! up comes the front wheel and the fun begins!

And what fun it is! The whole point of this blog was to expound the virtues of how much fun motorbike riding is – it’ll blow away your blues, it’ll put a hug grin on your face, it’ll make you feel so alive you can’t explain it! If you’ve never done it – give it a go – you’ll be amazed.

Me, I just love wheelies – it’s impossible to ride without having to get the front wheel up at any given opportunity – yes I know it’s illegal and naughty – (it takes skill and control you know) – but I’ve been doing it forever and I ain’t stopping now!

Young Chic - Reigate School of Art - circ 1978(ish)

Young Chic - Reigate School of Art - circa 1978(ish) - Photos by good mate Del Ongley

Ok, so Chris hasn’t got a belly button! Long story which I’m not going into here , suffice to say he was a bit careless and lost it…!

Anyway it’s obviously been playing on Chris’s mind, because he’s now got a brand new one tattooed on! And it’s not your average belly button, it’s proper old school button – the kind you used to get on flasher macs, with 4 big sewing holes in the middle. Chris said it hurt – a lot! So now he is complete once more…

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