How long have you had your licence?

[jonquirk]

Ten months, after forty years of dithering and false starts.

I saw a BMW G310R in a car park in April 2021. When I checked it out online I realised that it would be a good first bike so I booked a CBT and Theory Test and passed my test 16/09/21. I took delivery of a new G310R on 25/09/21.

Since then I have covered 4000 miles on it, as well as 2800 miles on the 1978 BMR R60/7 that I bought in February this year.
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2021 Triumph Trident660
1978 BMW R60/7

[arry]

[jonquirk]

[Diggs]

40 years including a couple on provisional. I got into it because of where I lived when I was 14 - the nearest town was 8 miles away and old bikes were cheap. Plus, you could ride almost anywhere because the village plod had a push-bike. The flash ones from the town had an Escort, but they rarely came our way. At 14 kings of the hill were a lad with a GT250 and a lad with a Honda 250G5. I just had a Raleigh Runabout (until I torched it by accident). Happy days.
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Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

[grr666]

[recman]

10 years.
It really wasn't on my radar much before that tbh.
A bloke at work talked me into it, the more he talked, the more it made sense.
I started to partake in the social side, going to meets etc, but I drifted away from that after discovering just how boring most people are at these things.
I don't mind gatherings at the odd greasy spoon though, bacon compensates nicely.

[Islander]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[Polarbear]

Since 1973, so (counts on fingers).......

49 years I think,
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[SpeedyCBR1100]

Going for the record. I had a BSA Bantam D7 in1966. It cost £80.00 and I knew nothing about bike maintenance. I moved to a Honda CB175 and took my test on that. I remember riding round the square that was outside Chesterfield town hall and hardly going faster than 20mph and still passing. I've been riding now for 56 years.

[blurredman]

[Prawny]

Passed my MOD 2 just over a year ago and yet 2 years (mostly over lockdowns and wfh) on a CBT.

No idea why but I’ve always been obsessed with bikes, I used to hassle my dad to take time to the local motocross whenever it was on, I begged for a PW50 for Christmas and bought motocross magazines with my pocket money.

My dad had a Bantam when he was in his teens but failed his test (no idea how) and never rode again. My mom wouldn’t let me have a bike when I was 17, my wife didn’t want me to have a bike when I moved out.

It was only cycling 200 miles a week to avoid a shockingly bad train service that finally convinced my wife that a bike would be a good and cost effective commuting tool.

Hated my 125 scooter, was too slow and sketchy AF.
Bought a nail of an ER6 when I passed because it was in budget but it never felt good and I was happy when it died.

Got a new Meteor 350 now which is nice, bit slow but it does the job for now and gets nearly 100mpg.

In a couple of years I’m sure I’ll fancy something faster so will see what work is like and my finances and trade up in size again.
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Yamaha Vity 125 (gone) Kawasaki ER6N(dead) 2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 350 (nicked) 2003 DL1000 V Strom

[Fizzer Thou]

Passed my bike test in September 1975 after buying my Honda CB125S in July.

Best decision I ever made,despite what my parents did or said.

My life is enhanced by having friends who are bikers,as is the Mrs,who I married nearly 38 years ago.Now the eldest daughter is looking to pass her series of tests and then buy herself a 250 of some sort,as they are a lot cheaper to insure than a 125 that she would quickly tire of once she has done her DAS.She passed her car test some 17 years ago,so has good road sense.
Maybe one day soon she will be able to ride to Hastings with me on the Mayday Run,which she looks forward to.
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Serendipity]

Passed in September 1993 so just a little shy of 29 years….

I had a stupid introduction to bikes. Although my dad had owned a Honda c50 before I was born I had no friends or family with bikes so they were entirely off my radar, but it was the gear that first hooked me. I was a bit of a metal kid so leather jackets were cool, but what really sold me was seeing some police in full leathers attending a house fire in my street in 1988. Sounds daft, but as a teenager the black leather really appealed. Not in a pervy way. Honest. Just looked cool.

Started with a jacket, then a helmet. My CBT was the first time I’d even got on a bike. After the CBT I did a single lesson on a hire bike, bought a Yamaha RXS100 from Autotrader (magazine, no website back then), rode it to work for 4 months then passed the test. Been commuting roughly 12k a year since then.

Sometimes still wear leathers, but the practicality of textiles/Kevlar jeans means my cool days are long behind me.
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2007 CBF1000-ABS - Commuter heaven | 1994 CBR600FR - Awaiting defibrillation

[A100man]

[Diggs]

[PotatoHead202...]

Passed my A2 when I was 17 in April 2008, it automatically upgraded to full A two years later.
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Honda VFR1200F, Honda CBF500 ABS, CZ125 now CZ175

[Hetzer]

I got my bike licence in 1994 but have been riding since 1977. I decided to go legit and signed up for a three-day course in Bristol and rode in to the centre each day on my Blade. On the second day the instructor asked me about that so I strung him a line about having a Japanese licence but had been told insurance would be cheaper if I took the UK test instead of swapping it for a UK one. I don't think he believed me but he didn't snitch.
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"There's the horizon! Ride hard, ride fast and cut down all who stand in your way!"

[A100man]

[hellkat]

Twenty one years. Passed my big bike test just after my 40th birthday.
Was on a 125 for three years on CBT before that, banging round London on an assortment of mad little things

Why did I get into bikes? TL,DR.
Trust me
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Dave321]

Bought my first bike (CG 125) late 1979 after cadging goes on other peoples fizzies for a while. Passed my test in May 1980, chopped the 125 in against a 400 Dream and didn't own anything smaller until I bought my Meteor 350 yesterday.

[tatters]

2004 (18 years), had a Honda NSR125R on a CBT at the time but passed by test on a CG125 as the NSR was difficult to ride at slow speeds.

Dad had mopeds and bikes since he was a teenager, I in fact have his 1957 BSA C12 which was this first motorcycle at 17 with me in Canada. Grandad also rode bikes before and during WW2
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650 Present:G650XC,C12,KZ750,1190ADV

[Jon-W]

I've had my license 13 years. Passed my A2 when I was 19. Full category A automatically two years later. 5 'big bikes' under the belt since. ZZR600, ZX6R Ninja, CB600 Hornet, XSR900, R1200GSA

[rpsmith79]

Spookily, 5 years today (came up on my FB memories) at the rips old age of 38

Not really sure what got me into it, a combination of things really, as was never into them as a kid, but seeing and hearing more and more bikes/bikers roaring around the roads near where i live (not far from Matlock Bath) eventually caused me to scrtatch that itch
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Current Bike: Honda CG125 ES4 // Honda CB600FS Hornet // Triumph Street Triple R

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

I need a license??
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125