The early Years !
My First Bike ! 1971 Lambretta DL125 ( GP125 )
1968 SUZUKI K10
My Dad got this for me from Holloway Motorcycles in Bath sometime in 1974. It was great for learning on at the time. Riding on public land in Trowbridge and Westbury White Horse wasn't a problem back then !!
The photo isn't of my bike but a similar one that I found on the net. Mine was puke green and more rusty !
For some reason we can't find any of the photos that were taken of the bike at the time.
Maybe we were having too much fun riding back then !
Sold to help fund the DT50M
The photo isn't of my bike but a similar one that I found on the net. Mine was puke green and more rusty !
For some reason we can't find any of the photos that were taken of the bike at the time.
Maybe we were having too much fun riding back then !
Sold to help fund the DT50M
1978 YAMAHA DT50M
This was my first bike to ride on the road and trails.
My Dad bought this bike as an insurance ' write off ' and spent a good part of early 1979 getting it into good shape for me. Memories of lots of late evenings, spray paint, frame straightening, hammering and sawing !
No original photos seem to exist for some reason.
Of course as my first road legal bike, this one has a special place in my memories. This little bike was thrashed mercilessly night and day, used for journeys short and very long, to get to college and back and for trail riding at the weekends.
Also the DT50 helped me form the totally un-necessary habit of modifying and tuning bikes, sometimes succesful, other times not quite !!
Sold late 1980 to fund my DT175MX.
My Dad bought this bike as an insurance ' write off ' and spent a good part of early 1979 getting it into good shape for me. Memories of lots of late evenings, spray paint, frame straightening, hammering and sawing !
No original photos seem to exist for some reason.
Of course as my first road legal bike, this one has a special place in my memories. This little bike was thrashed mercilessly night and day, used for journeys short and very long, to get to college and back and for trail riding at the weekends.
Also the DT50 helped me form the totally un-necessary habit of modifying and tuning bikes, sometimes succesful, other times not quite !!
Sold late 1980 to fund my DT175MX.
1978 YAMAHA DT175MX
My 1978 model DT175MX ( DT175E ) was bought for £350.00 as a bit of a wreck in Feb 1980. It had suffered badly at the hands of the previous owner. It took me many Saturday afternoons to get it into good shape.
Over the next Year the DT was heavily modified for serious trail riding, having a Dave Rayner 2 1/2 gallon alloy tank, suspension jack-up kit, side panels, extra tool pouches, enduro headlamp, Metzeler Knobbly tyres, Preston Petty mudguards, and treated to some ' go faster parts ' for the engine.
All un-necessary items such as indicators, rev counter, battery, and rear footrests were removed to save weight.
Sold to Paul Walter in 1981 to fund the purchase of my IT125H. He used the DT175MX for racing in enduros and time trials for a number of Years.
However I bought the DT back in 2003 ! Again it needed some work to get it back to the condition shown in the photo.
Runs well despite needing a re-bore.
Over the next Year the DT was heavily modified for serious trail riding, having a Dave Rayner 2 1/2 gallon alloy tank, suspension jack-up kit, side panels, extra tool pouches, enduro headlamp, Metzeler Knobbly tyres, Preston Petty mudguards, and treated to some ' go faster parts ' for the engine.
All un-necessary items such as indicators, rev counter, battery, and rear footrests were removed to save weight.
Sold to Paul Walter in 1981 to fund the purchase of my IT125H. He used the DT175MX for racing in enduros and time trials for a number of Years.
However I bought the DT back in 2003 ! Again it needed some work to get it back to the condition shown in the photo.
Runs well despite needing a re-bore.
1981 YAMAHA IT125H
Paid the grand total of £771.00 at Graham Newport Motorcycles for this bike in May 1981. It was my first new bike and I will never forget the lovely sound from the engine and exhaust. More powerful and much lighter than the DT175MX it replaced, keeping the front wheel on the ground was always a challenge ! Regularly looped, much to the concern of my parents !
It ate piston rings by the dozen when the bike was used as my daily ride to work, trail bike, enduro machine, and the occasional long distance trial bike. Another bike had to be bought to take the strain away from the overloaded IT125 !
The suspension was uprated with more travel at the front and rear. Better tyres, mudguards, handlebars, levers and tool pouch were fitted to make the bike a better trail tool !
Sold late 1982 to fund my Honda XR200RC.
It ate piston rings by the dozen when the bike was used as my daily ride to work, trail bike, enduro machine, and the occasional long distance trial bike. Another bike had to be bought to take the strain away from the overloaded IT125 !
The suspension was uprated with more travel at the front and rear. Better tyres, mudguards, handlebars, levers and tool pouch were fitted to make the bike a better trail tool !
Sold late 1982 to fund my Honda XR200RC.
1980 YAMAHA DT125MX
This used DT125MX ( E ) was bought from Graham Newport Motorcycles to be my daily ride to work bike. It was in really good condition and I looked after it despite occasionally using it for trail riding.
The photo of me was taken by a friend, Gary Grey who owned the DT175MX in the right of the picture. The location was a track near Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
Notice the combination of colours in the clothing and the fact that I had hair at the time!!
Reluctantly sold to help fund the Honda XR200RC purchase
The photo of me was taken by a friend, Gary Grey who owned the DT175MX in the right of the picture. The location was a track near Stonehenge in Wiltshire.
Notice the combination of colours in the clothing and the fact that I had hair at the time!!
Reluctantly sold to help fund the Honda XR200RC purchase