Good to be back

I’m sat here reading Bike December and it takes me back to my youth – when all you had to worry about was your next fuel stop and not getting done for speeding on your 125cc – I managed the latter by apparently doing 70mph through a 30 limit…

I should have known at the time it was wrong. And Mr Policeman told me in no uncertain terms just how wrong my actions were. ‘Do you know how fast you were going?’ Not a clue I said to myself, in my head. ‘Do you know how far I followed you?’

This was my first time dealing with

a situation like this. I was riding my restricted 125cc Cagiva Mito 125cc. I so miss that bike: bloody fast; amazing handling, yet fragile. On a similar night I remember riding it and seeing an indicated 110mph on the clocks (yes I know it was probably over reading). Then it seized. The three mile walk home, pushing the bike, gave me plenty of time to figure out how I was going to explain it to my parents. Luckily I had an amazing dad who was a mechanic. I never stopped loving motorcycles but my life changed and I had to give up riding. Which made me stop reading bike magazines because I knew I would lust over the bikes and be reminded of what I’m missing. But now I’m back and shame on me for forgetting what a great read Bike is. Yours dreaming of the winding road. Paul Dearness, email