THE BEST BIKE?

In Members’ Enclosure last month, Rowena wondered how to obtain the ultimate motorcycle. The answer is simple. If you like it, do not sell it because you will be very lucky if you can find it to buy back. Even if you do, something will have been changed which is not to your taste.

Some say that they had to sell for a reason. The only reason to sell is that you do not like it or you just want to see the back of it, in which case, no regrets. I understand that there may be financial problems that force a sale, in which case I sympathise, but how much money do you get for the run of the mill British bike? Not enough to solve the underlying problem, I bet. A late colleague sold a Guzzi Californian to pay for a family holiday to Greece. Great deal for the buyer, as the Guzzi lasted for more than two weeks.

Usually a bike is sold to finance the purchase of the next one which, if it turns out to be disappointing, is your own fault.

My hobby has been generously financed by the tobacco industry after I gave up smoking in 1983. I split the money in half between bikes and household expenses and found difficulty spending all my half on my modest bikes.

I have just paid more for a three year-old Nissan Leaf than the realistic value of all my old bikes; bikes that I have had for between eight and 48 years. The reason I have had them that long is that I researched carefully what I wanted and bought them. I was pleased with them then and am still pleased with them now. One did not come up to expectations, was got rid of and I have no desire to have another.

The grass is not always greener so if you like what you have, enjoy it. Nick Crook, member 1342

To answer the question ‘do you own the perfect motorcycle?’ I would say almost probably, but in the plural.

I could not bear to part with either of my current bikes, a 1961 T100 and the ’76 Guzzi Convert, at least not until I hang up my helmet for the last time. Both have their limitations but I enjoy looking at them almost as much as riding them, and neither is particularly valuable, or is ever likely to be, and running costs are minimal with no tax or MoT.

Unfortunately this form of adoration brings its own minor irritation, as I used to enjoy the process of swapping one bike for another and having a whole new love affair (or not). From time to time a third friend has joined my two in the shed, but then access gets awkward and I never love the new one as much as the current pair, so they don’t tend to stay for long. Triumph, Ducati and Laverda, among others, have come and gone, sometimes in very short order.

From time to time I still look at the small ads and think ‘Ooh, that would be nice’. Realistically, unless I ever managed to find and fund any of my ‘poster bikes’ ( Van Veen OCR, Healey Four, Ducati Apollo...) then another addition to the shed is unlikely. So I recommend that you just look at it another way and enjoy the chase, the game, the thrill of the new for as long as you can, it certainly makes life more interesting. Garron Clark-Darby, member 11,711

I entirely understand this. Down the years I have been happy enough to own pretty much all of my own ‘dream’ machines. Some have been brilliant, better than expected, while others have been … well … less so. One of the reasons – a personal comment approaches – I like several modern machines, and indeed own and ride them, is that there are always new dreams. And just like old dreams, sometimes they work out and sometimes they do not. The delight lies in the investigations, always. FrankW