should be done. It soon became apparent that DAS was the route to take, and with a new test format soon to be introduced, the sooner the better.
That winter saw me braving the weather, the worst one-way system in the country and the bad habits of a riding school ER5 to eventually get that precious slip without too much
drama. I was very impressed with the examiner and less so with my instructor, and quite disfavourably with that bike.
I was now left with the wonderful but daunting task of chosing a bike from the extensive catalogue available. So many considerations and every bit of advice seemed subjective.
At this stage one of my lads decided to sell his bike. I think the previous year or so he had spent more time polishing it than riding it after giving himself a very real fright
while out with some of his lunatic mates.
The bike was an immaculate but older CBR6 and after getting favourable opinions on here as to it's suitability, and impressively low insurance quotes, I handed over the cash
without so much as a test ride and trailered it home.
Now the nightmare rides on that ER5 had left me regretting the passing of the days of my big old Matchless twin and others of it's ilk, but what an eye-opener the first ride on
the cibber was.
No more wrestling a bike round corners. It went where I looked of it's own accord it seemed. The acceleration was better than anything I had ever driven or ridden with brakes to
match. It didn't take long to become soulmates and start to explore the top end of the rev range. Within months we were exploring, finding and respecting each others limits.
The bike was terribly civilised at sensible revs and an ideal first 'big' bike but once you became confident enough to use the rev range it was as much fun as our roads allow,
and then some.
A lot of that confidence came from a change of rubber and I was lucky to get advice that gave me the absolute ideal match there. More confidence came from fitting a Renegade
system that levelled out torque through the range and also let people know I was coming, from some way off.
I did have the usual Honda regulator/rectifier burnout at one stage, but easily diagnosed and, ermm, rectified. The only other problem experienced was the front fork dumping oil
on one occasion, but remember she was an old lady by then. The gearbox had the usual Honda amount of character as well.
We eventually found both our limits on the way to Donington a few years back. Neither of us was up to coping with a grain spillage in the road at a silly speed. She cartwheeled
further than me as I took out a chevron roadsign while still in mid air.RIP the cibber and many thanks to Grantham hospital.
Acknowledgements to Big Nige for finally convincing me to get the CBR, Bavins of Diss for recommending the BT45s, Jorge for confiscating my bike and not letting me out of West Kingsdown without the rene, and to White Van Man who found me unconcious in a water filled ditch after 3 hours. I'd do it all again.
