The in-house appreciator
Jamie Rule Age: 59 Job: Farmer Honda CBX1000 A5 Ducati 916 SPS Ducati 999 R Ducati Panigale R BMW R ninet Kawasaki Z900 A4 Honda 250 Superdream Honda Goldwing 1974 Yamaha WR450 Yamaha PW50
My Ducatis all live in the kitchen because I like to sit and eat my breakfast and look at them. They’re all on the button, ready to ride – they just go out the patio door and then I’m off out round the outside of the house and down the drive.
In the summer, I ride each bike in turn. Normally we have a classic bike night near me, and I love going there. When I was younger, tearing around on sportsbikes, I used to look at people going and think ‘silly old twats’, but now I get it. I meet friends with CB750S, Z1000s, you name it, and we ride out to the meet. Everyone’s got the same interest in keeping these machines up and running. I love it.
I had a CBX1000 when I was 19 and it blew my mind. I saw one in my local dealer 21 years ago and he wanted £5000 for it. That was a lot of money back then so I surprised him when I said I’ll have it. It’s everything a motorcycle should be. In my day there was no substitute for cubic capacity – never mind about suspension, frame and all of that carry-on. You just wobbled all over the road. But the CBX isn’t horrendous. Even now the engine is amazing, and it takes me back to my youth and makes me smile. And it’s still quick enough to be half-handy – sometimes you can catch some of these sportsbike boys with their pants down and they wonder what the fuck’s going on when the CBX goes by ’em. You can have a bit of fun on it.
I’ve always liked motorbikes and it makes life quite straightforward. I know what I like. I’ve only been without two wheels for a year – that was after my first divorce when I was 26 – and without a motorbike in the shed it made me a bit anxious. That’s how bad it is. I could live without the three-piece suite and a car, but if I haven’t got a bike.
I wouldn’t say I ever buy a bike thinking I’ll make a profit, because they take such a lot of money to keep right – even when they’re sitting still. I’m always doing something – battery charging, running up, or emptying out the petrol on the carburettor bikes. You have to keep on top of them. When I had to hide some of my Ducatis during my divorce they just sat somewhere for three years and then it was a big job to get them right.
The only thing stopping me buying more is finance. The next bike I want is a [Ducati] 1098R. It was the first to get 180bhp out of a V-twin. I’ve got the 916SPS with 126bhp, the 999R does 150bhp, then 221bhp with the Panigale R. The 1098R would fill the gap. Then if I got an 888 SP5 I’d be done with Ducatis.
I’d also like to build my six-cylinder brigade up. If I find a nice Z1300 I know I won’t be able to help myself. And I’d love a nice GSX-R750 slabby – the original GSX-R750. And I want an FS-1E and a Garelli Record 50. In fact, I’m planning an extension to the house so I’ve got somewhere to keep them. I want the bikes in the house because I love looking at them. It’s expensive, but it could be worse – I could be shoving 5g of cocaine up my nose every day like some twats.
‘I had to hide Ducatis during my divorce’