A lot changes in 10 years.

Well, not quite.

It's 2005. I'm working for a freight company based in Hayes, Middlesex. I'm 29 years old, riding a Suzuki Bandit, driving a 1993 green Renault 19. Life is easy, working 9- 5, having fun at the weekends. There we go!

The fleet in 2005!

It all changed on January 1st 2005. A trip to Rykas for the annual Nutters New Years day meet. I think I went on a bike, it was probably the Bandit. Meeting up with old and new friends. Who knew just a chance meeting at Box Hill on New Years Day, that I would end up meeting someone who was fixing stock cars next to where I live, for someone the gang at Sainsburys were supporting at Wimbledon stock car racing about 10 years earlier! It's a small world indeed Malcolm!

As I was 30 this year, I decided I needed a new bike, and I ended up buying a 2001 Aprilia RS125. 11,000 miles on the clock, £1500 from the local Aprilia dealer. Queue the next nin months of being questioned about "how long have you had your licence?", "where are your L-plates?", and "if you've had a licence for 13 years, why are you riding a 125?" Easy, it is fun!

My last track day was completed this year, Brands Hatch on an evening session. The little 'Prila was singing, I was having fun, and the bikers I was overtaking could swear I was riding a 250! Not quite! 

Druids,, Aprilia 125, and me with hair!

Apart from adventures with the Nutters, a blown 125 engine, the Bandit put back on the road for a few months. The next plan was started on an adventure to London one night. Two idiots on their bikes, heading in to the big city, one armed with a camera, the other armed with local knowledge and wit! A new hobby was kick started in my head, photography. Something I was doing back in the days of 33mm film, with an old Olympus OM40 camera. Now, it was time to embrace the digital age.

The final picture of the Bandit still road worthy!

Over the next year, free time was spent at BSB meetings, local motorcross tracks and a few trips to Epsom Downs and London in between. My hard drive on this PC still has the pictures from those adventures buried in it. Some great times heading around the country! But, I was without a bike. I'd given up on the Bandit (shame on me). I decided it should be a project, I will sit down and start rebuilding the Bandit. I will! Then a new toy arrived......

Dusty kit after a Southern Motocross meet

But the pictures came out well!

23rd December 2006, a fecking cold day! It was raining as I sat on the train at Hayes & Harlington. I was heading to Liskeard, first stop was Reading to get on an iIntercity train to head south west! I managed to bag two seats to myself. One for me, and one for my bike gear! Back in 1993, I was just starting to get into the nasty biking scene. I done my test, I got a licence, and I was asked by my instructor, "what bike would you like to get?", a Ducati Monster....

The dawning of the Monster age!

After my doubting friends were telling me I would be coming home on a recovery vehicle, I had to make sure the 1993 Monster made it back from Cornwall to Surrey. She did, just! After annoy the night shift spanner monkey in Fleet, I headed off on the last leg for home, and the gear lever spring snapped. 200 odd miles, and a 10p spring breaks! I managed to get the bike home, and 2007 was spent in Roso Corse, East London.

This was also the arrival of the Italian Nut.....

Vehicle update time.

Let us start at the beginning. The vehicle I lusted after most of my biking life after gaining my motorcycle licence in 1993.

1: Ducati M900 Il Mostro.

904cc air cooled, 90 degree V twin engine. Dry clutch and lots and lots of character, as most of the Ducati range has. She was built in 1993, one of the first off production line, and (possibly) the oldest Ducati M900 in the UK.

I've owned here since 23rd December 2006, and we have had our ups and downs. Knocked off the bike twice on the same road, at different ends, and a week apart between each off. Two complete engine rebuilds, a few niggling electrical problems, worn out Brembo rear wheel, paint peeling off of the front wheel, but she has covered over 60k miles in the last 20 years, and approximately 35k of those miles have been covered by me!

Not too shabby for a 20 year old

2: MINI One 1.4

The changing faces of Dinky

The Dinky one. A car that I didn't think I would want, but now I've got one, I love it! I bought her on the 11th September 2011. One month later she was reversed into, and a bill for over £2000 was sent to the third party. After I collected the car from the repair workshop, it has been a slippery slop since!

The engine is still standard, not that there is a lot you can do to tune the 1.4ltr engine in the MINI One. Maybe a change of air filter for a K&N system, but unlike the 1.6 Cooper, you can't really do much else.

The interior is still standard (just about), apart from the addition of Union Jack interior mirror cover, Union Jack centre consol, Union Jack door handles and glove box opening button and a Union Jack parcel shelf cover from Go Badges. The stereo has been fully upgraded by NewMINIStuff in February 2012, and it does kick out one of the best sounds from the speakers I have heard from a car.

The exterior has been altered slightly. It's still a Lightning Blue MINI. The bonnet and front bumper were replaced by Cooper Tadworth workshop after the shunt. So far I've added the Union Jack (can you see a theme here!) mirror covers, DM wheel caps, and a Cooper S rear spoiler. The wipers have been changed to the flat aero design, Cooper S grille, genuine MINI spot lights and Cooper S fuel cap.

All of the above have been completed since October 2011, just to make the car stand out a bit more.

3: Suzuki GSF600n, the Bandit

It has become the one we do not speak of. The forgotten vehicle of my little fleet, and since 2006 I've been saying "yes I will rebuild the Bandit" on New Years Day, but it just seems to be put in more boxes.

Back in 2006, it was a 72k mile, 1999 Suzuki GSF600N. I have owned the bike since new. Nothing was really modified on the bike. Standard engine, just an aftermarket can was fitted (and fell off one bike ride). A few stickers were added to the tank, the wheels have been different colours, and the gear was changed from 15 tooth front sprocket to 14 tooth, to give it a little bit more acceleration.

The old Suzuki Bandit on her last ride out.

Well, that was a brief rundown on the vehicles under my current ownership. All three need a slight bit of repair, well one of them needs a lot of repairing and a miracle!!

I'll go off and start planing the restoration.