😉Hi to you all.My Motorcycling started out in my early teens riding you guessed it a nifty fifty (Honda Fifty), think I was about 16 (1966). Then came a Triumph, brand new and I guess back then my pride and joy, picking it up was like Xmas re visited!! Well I think it was as some 40 years have passed since and along with a little hair loss so has my memory. I can't even remember what model it was, had one cylinder, tank was metallic red, and CC was around 125. Next was another Triumph and again my memory is a little sketchy, best guess was about 300cc. ex police bike, unit construction and good for 200 miles between breakdowns, mainly electrical faults. Then we tried a Bonneville; I was the 4th owner, last model before unit construction and it too was good for about 200 miles between breakdowns. Then we tried a Norton 650 and an Ariel Square Four. In the search for reliability came a 650 Triumph Saint, these bikes were I believe built for the police force and mine was just out of its traffic enforcing duties. Much more reliable, however I had this thing about learning how it all worked and hence I continually pulled it to pieces and that, by memory, was not good for the reliability. Like all experiences it had a good side, "I learnt allot" .At the time I was living in Nelson and during the Saint period Honda released the first 300cc bike and shortly after came the Suzuki 250 6 speed two stroke. There was little to match the acceleration of these bikes and before 60mph, BSA, Triumphs and Norton’s could only snap at there heals. My Saint took a little longer, about 70mph. This statistic brought about the end of my love of motor cycles as a friend bought one, (Suzuki 250) and on a ride too Murchison we had a race up the Spooners range, my saint was blitzed and as we descended the hill the road opened out into a straight about a mile long then slows to in those days a 20 mph corner followed by a one lane bridge that turned right. So like any good jockey out came the whip, head down and throttle wide open, the saint was making ground and at about terminal speed, some 98 mph (a very good day) I got past and with my pride restored began thinking about the asphalt beneath me and “S—t the left hand corner.My memory of this event is very good and I recall negotiating the first part then seeing the one lane bridge with the picket fence rails, decided that the paddock to the right was my safest option and indeed it was, rough but safe, Unfortunately they built bridges to negotiate rivers and as time seemed to stand still my Trusty Saint began its gradual descent. I hit the bank on the opposite side. No crash helmet, in those days you didn’t need one and a sissy if you did. That’s the end of my story, well until I gained consciousness in what appeared to be heaven, actually it was the back of a combi (Volkswagen Van) and I was being nursed by a beautiful woman who I still believe to this day had the most comfortable breasts that could ever nurse a broken body.Well the bike was eventually sold off and I decided to pursue a career in racing motor cars, motor bikes, except for a couple of smaller commuters were banned from my list of good things. As my children grew up and gained licenses any mention of motorbikes saw them banned to their bedrooms without food or water for however long the desire took to be cancelled out by starvation. As my years went by and motor racing took control of my bank account the desire to have a motorbike never returned, loved my roll gage. Then came the 50 odd years of age and slowly the memory of that weightless feeling as you apex a bike and roll into the next corner returned. Why not and as I now own my own business, http://www.aartpulse.co.nz financially it could happen but my race car commitment was still happening and so once or twice a year I hired a bike and off I would go. Hence this story, you see the last hire bike was a Suzuki Bandit and on some remote stretch of rode it became obvious that the suspension was beginning to bottom out and while with my partner, Zoë, luggage, and undulating road convincing me that all was normal the bike was handling like a pig and so we stopped. To put the bike on the centre stand was impossible and why! Well the swing arm was but for about 15mm of very suspect welds broken in two. The hire company checked out all their Bandits and found that all swing arms were in various stages of breaking up.For me if I was to do another ride it would be with my own bike for this broken journey meant that all our accommodation, pre booked and paid for was cancelled, getting home took another day and at Xmas arranging new alternative accommodation was not possible and then the loss of deposits and in some cases total loss of payment only reinforced that next time I would have my own bike. Well after much agonizing over all breads I narrowed it down to two, Honda and BMW, I rode every bike in the touring range I could find. Dare I say it but I will, motor bike Franchises get there money to easily, most trips to the sales desks left me thinking that if ever I own another business it will be selling motor bikes. Relationships and customer expertise are sadly missing, especially when you consider at a ripe age of 57 the accessible income could be healthy. Not so, whether it is the franchise or the shops to blame I can’t say but suspect it to be 50/50. In all cases to get just a bottom on the seat and the engine started needed a sizeable deposit. Or to be told you could go and hire a bike for a day and while I waited for the next sentence to be spoken which I presumed would be “ if you were to purchase then we will refund the hire costs or we have an arrangement with the tour companies, they have many of our bikes and we underwrite the care and responsibility, just a phone call to arrange, give me two minutes. Don’t hold your breath, not happening. One very well known Canterbury dealer told me to come back in three weeks. ‘We have a test and show day in three weeks”. So sad never mind your loss and my gain.So if you are ever touring, after some premises to store your gear, work on the bike, coffee and chat or live in Christchurch and wish for a ride companion then call in to 41 Brisbane St, Waltham. My R 1200 RT would love to see or ride with you and get to share in the re birth of a passion.  Thank you Canterbury Rides, its called Xmas. Waiting for it to arrive was just like Xmas at ten years old. The BMW is fantastic, not the frenetic pace of many but taking it deep into a corner holding it through to the apex, be patient clip the apex and now give its nose is better than motor racing and safer than riding a push bike. I just hope that 40 years on I’m older, wiser and sensible and those one lane bridges are tamed. Good riding Regards Leigh.