So I got my wife and kids in the car on Tuesday, and we drove up to Barnsley to pick up the bike I’d bought. I’d called first to make sure everything was ok. It was, they were going to MOT when I called, so we got ready to leave 30 minutes later, which took 20 minutes. Then it was half an hours drive.

Of course we got there and it wasn’t ready so we had to wait 30 minutes (with whiney kids) for the guy to get back with the freshly MOTd bike. It wasn’t good news. The bike had passed it’s MOT fine, but he wasn’t happy with the rear brake so he wanted to strip it down and sort it out before I could have it. They said it’d take an hour. So we went home having arranged for them to deliver at “tea time”.

About “tea time” we got a call to say that for logistics reasons with the delivery van (engine on the back that they’d couldn’t get off because the recepient was out when they arrived…) they couldn’t deliver. They’d do it the next day in the afternoon.

Thing was, I’d be at work then, which made it a bit of a pain, but since work is 15 minutes walk from home we arranged for them to call me when they set off and I’d be there. Of course, I’d got home after work and eaten my dinner and was getting ready to bath the kids when they finally turned up. And when they did the ramp on the truck broke and the bike took a drop onto it’s suspension. All seemed ok and they left.

Did a bit of riding, bike taking a bit of getting used to after a few months of no riding, and riding on much less sporty bikes. This bike goes pretty nicely. But the gears are a lot taller, I’m having trouble timing my downshifts right for the engine. Too much engine braking causing me to loose the backend. I need more practice.

I’ve ridden it for about 2 hours in 2 small rides.

Yesterday morning the weather was glorious and I was really looking forward to a ride. By the time I’d done my family duty and could have got it out and gone for a ride, it was pissing it down. It rained all day and all night. Today? Weather gorgeous again. So I really regret the fact that my wife is on a 12 hour shift and I’m at home with the kids. Which is terrible because usually I love that. But as it is, I have a “new” bike and I’m stuck in on my own.

The bike? Kawasaki GPZ500S. ‘91 J Plate.

Question is, after all the hassle getting my licence and bike, am I really fated to ride out?

While I was reading obsessively about bikes every second I could get whilst doing my motorbike lessons, I often read about people doing BikeSafe training days. Bikesafe is a national scheme run by the police to provide motorbike riders with advanced rider training to show them what they are doing that is wrong/dangerous and how they can make their riding better/safer.

Every story/thread/blog I’ve read about doing a BikeSafe day has been full of awe. People are amazed at the ability of a Police Class 1 Motorcyclists. These guys are riding big Pans and BMWs and keeping up easily with the people on the course who are riding Supersports bikes with bags and bags of power. These riders I hear are awesome, and what people learn on the course has really improved their riding.

The Police Class 1 licence sounds like something I’d like to know more about, so, I snagged a copy of  Motorcycle Roadcraft: The Police Rider’s Handbook, the course book that goes with the full licence course (which I assume is police only) and I’m currently reading through it.

One thing in the first half of the book has caught my attention particularly:

Local Road Knowledge

Increasing your local knowledge of the roads can help your riding. Town riding puts heavy demands on your observation, reactions and riding skills, and you need to be alert at all times.

…

But even when you know the layout of main road junctions, one-way streets, roundabouts and other local features, always plan on the basis of what you can actually see - not what usually happens. Inattentiveness is a major cause of accidents and riders are least atentive on roads thye know well. Nine out of ten accidents occur on raods that the rider is familiar with.

Nine out of ten accidents occur where you feel safest? That’s a bit of an arse really. Extra attention is needed where logic logic dictates you need it less (know where you’re going, the interval of the traffic lights etc). But it’s the old addage, familiarity breeds contempt, and you get lazy. Then something happens and you crash.

Which you really don’t want to do on a bike.

I’ve always wanted a bike, as long as I can remember. I used to have Harley Davidson merchandise of all kinds when I was at school. Folders. Pencil Cases. Pens. Rubbers. All sorts.

Once I was old enough to learn to ride or drive, I learnt to drive. Even that was a fight. My dad didn’t want me to, it was only because my mum did and paid for it that I learnt to drive. Dad beleived 17 was too young and that young people shouldn’t be allowed on the road. Once I passed my test, I didn’t have a car to drive until I was 21 and moved away after finishing university.

From then on it was a case of time/money. I either had one or the other, but never both. Tempted every summer, but never managed it. Then came kids. Still no time or energy.

Then work was recruiting hard and running out of space, so there was talk of the office moving. Currently, I walk to work, if the office moved I’d need transport. So I thought I’d get a 125 and do my CBT then run around on that on L plates.

The biker’s at work soon talked me out of that telling me that 125’s were no good on Sheffield’s hills and much less safe than a big bike. So I decided it was time to do my Direct Access course so I could get a proper bike.

Then my vascectomy appointment came through and delayed all that for healing, but I did eventually get out in Oct 07 to start learning to ride.

I failed my first test in November due to speeding. My second test in December was cancelled due to the examiner getting a flat on the test prior to mine. My third test in January 08 was cancelled due to Snow. My fourth test in January 08  went well enough for me to hold a full bike licence.

That just left me waiting for our annual bonus payout in March so I could buy a bike. Which is when our family car died, and instead I had to replace that.

Biking for me seemed doomed. I now had no budget for a bike. I wanted to get a Bandit or an ER6F. New, or 12 months old. Something like that. But I can’t afford it.

However, I did just spot an old 500 on the internet for only £800 and decided to buy it (after checking it out further). So I don’t forget to ride, can build up some no-claims and find out if I really will have time to ride and continue to enjoy it, I’ve bought the old bike. I’ll keep it for at least a year and see if I get time to ride it, enjoy riding it and can build up the confidence etc to buy a bigger bike next year.

And because I’m a tragic geek I’ve set up this blog to chronicle my use of it.

I go to pick it up tomorrow, photos then