Paul Dalton's First Bike Story

First Bike Story
by Paul Dalton (aka the English Bloke)

Funny how bikes get in your blood before you know it. I don't know where it came from, I think I found at dump, I was 13 and it was 49 cc moped, it doesn't count as my first bike but it did introduce me to the feeling of speed (probably 20 mph) on the times I could get it to run.

I had a drum kit and I was a shite drummer, a friend of friend had a 1959 Royal Enfield Crusader Sports it was love at first sight!!! My drum kit for the 250cc beauty. We had a long drive way to a garage with a set of doors on the front, a set of doors on the rear with a parking space behind and my dad’s pride and joy green house.

Ok it was time to straddle my new pride and joy. Bobby Jackson " you can't ride that" not to be looked as a real tosser with a few choice Brummie words I not only managed to start it but proceeded to shoot up the drive way straight through the garage and into the green house, flattening a good percentage of my dad’s tomatoes.

Who knew I was destined to carry on making a prat of myself on two wheels for the rest of my life. For those of you who want to know it was 1969 the year of Easy Rider at the local flea pit, ape hangers, back rest and a swept up tail pipe, what a site on a 250 Royal Enfield I was the Dogs Bollocks.

Needless to say it lasted about 3 months before it seized up (lack of oil) and my wrenching on bikes was born.