Page 43 - Motorcycle Trader (February 2020)

PETE COLLINS

You asked. My first bike was a Kawasak
250 F11 trail bike in 1977. School and I
weren’t getting along too well so when
I got offered a job working on a dairy
farm up near Toowoomba, I could only
think – job + money = motorcycle and
car. Where do I sign?
One of my older brothers was into
V8 Holden panel vans and the other
was into H2 750 Kawasakis. I caught

both bugs.
I bought the 250 Kwaka and from
then on my Sundays on the farm
weren’t spent resting but rippin’ it
up in the ‘range paddock’ getting
covered in mud and cow shit. I was
younger and fitter then.
When it came time to actually
get a licence, the local copper aske
me three questions. “Peter, isn’t it? Any dramas getting here? Is that The practical test was
your bike? “Yes, no and yes, in that order.” The practical test was to
ride up to the pub and back without putting my feet down. Done. to ride up to the pub
Aha, the girlfriend. I know where it went wrong, but it was and back without putting
excellent while it lasted and I’ve moved on… my feet down. Done

Pete Collins, petecollins42@hotmail.com

BERNARD CANNON

My first bike was a Yamaha DT100. I bought it in
1975 and rode around the paddocks for a couple
of years until I got my licence and first road
bike, a 1977 Honda CB400T Hawk.
Sadly, I had my licence suspended for six
months before I even got the Hawk for riding
the Yamaha unregistered and unlicenced
on the highway. It was the longest six months
of my life.
The second pic is the BSA Bantam I had
for 35 years that my nephew now owns and is
restoring again. My girlfriend at the time (in the
picture) is indicating to me her thoughts on me
getting a third bike.
That girlfriend and I celebrated 37 years of
marriage in November last year so we’re still
going strong and there are now four bikes in the
shed. I had a tattoo put on my arm with her name
in it in 1977 and recently had it re-coloured. The
tattoo bloke said, “I can re-colour it but can’t get
rid of or alter the name.”
I told him it was the same lady and his reply
was, “Take your shirt off and I’ll tattoo a medal
on your chest while I’m at it!”
Life is good.
Bernard Cannon, bernardjc@bigpond.com

MOTORCYCLE TRADER 43