TURNING JAPANESE

This year I celebrate a half-century of riding motorcycles, and since 1969 every bike I’ve owned has been British… until now! In the 50 years since my 16th birthday I’ve definitely ridden more than 120,000 miles. I know that for certain because I’ve kept a diary of my motorcycling life since 2003, when I bought a Royal Enfield 250 Continental GT. My diary records fuel, destinations, mileage – and the occasional breakdown.

I started out on a 1962 BSA Bantam D7 bought privately for £50. I’d only ridden a moped around the playing field so someone came with me on the bus to collect it. We rode back with me on the pillion, leaning the wrong way of course! After some basic instruction I set off on the country roads and returned after 30 minutes or so.

‘The long grass whips your legs!’ I said, and was told that you don’t ride a motorcycle like a pushbike. I was far too close to the left, so adjusted my