It occurred to me this morning that this year, 2024, will mark my 50th anniversary as a motorcyclist. In early 1974 my good mate, Bob Holden, persuaded me to ride his almost-new Yamaha TX500. I’d never been the slightest bit interested in bikes and I was more than just a little shocked when Bob, a fellow car racing fanatic, returned from a 2 year stint working in the mines at Mt Isa with a new car and a new caravan AND a motorcycle. I was very reluctant, dad had told me hairy stories about motorcycles when he was a young man but, unwilling to be thought of a weak, I gave in and had a ride. To say I was hooked is an understatement.
So I thought that in this, my anniversary year so to speak, I’d start a series about, as the title suggests, the things I used to do. The title is taken from the 1962 Bobby Darin song of the same name, a song which my muso mates and I have performed several times recently in our regular nursing home gigs. A couple of things should be noted before I start. This is NOT a chronological or even historical overview of the things that I have done as a motorcyclist over the last 50 years, this is not the time and place for that. Nor is it a list of all the SIGNIFICANT things I have done. Nor is it a list of things that I USED to do but don’t do any longer, after all, where would the fun be in that? Rather it is a completely random list of things suggested by my voluminous collection of photos and the memories that they have evoked. So, without any further ado, here is Episode 1 of the things that I used to do.
The photo at the top of the article is precious as are all photos involving my family. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife who has been so for over 50 years, two very special children and (so far) three extraordinary grandchildren two of which appear in this photo.
The photo dates from 2006 (probably). It was taken here in Dapto so it must be after 2004 (we moved here 20 years ago this month) and it features Joshua and Daniel sitting on my first VFR. Little was I to know that my ownership of VFRs was going to stretch to 21 years and 7 separate bikes in that time. I bought the first VFR (most of them have been red) in 2002 in Canberra and it lasted until it was written off in an accident in late 2006. A short period of non-VFR ownership followed (a VTR1000) before it was back to VFRs again.
Joshua is now 22 years old and has graduated university with honours and is now working in the employment industry, working as a jobs coach. Daniel is 20 and is just about to enter his third year of uni majoring in science, specifically Physics and also in Maths (the boy is obviously twisted). I couldn’t be prouder of what mature and caring boys they have turned out to be. Blink and you’ll miss something, they say and it sure is the case here. My youngest grandson, Thomas, is not in the picture because he hadn’t even been born when this photo was taken. Yes, I am getting old.
More than half of my life has been involved with motorcycling (obviously) and thus the title of my web site and this blog. However, remnants of my early passion for cars have always been lurking in the background and have led to some (some would say) puzzling, choices. Unlike most people who buy one car and change it for another, different car at a later date, my car ownership has been punctuated by several instances of owning the same model of cars several times. The Holden Calibra is a classic case in point.
In around about 2000 I became a Calibra owner. Despite its bad press, especially in UK media, it was, in fact, an excellent little car. A 2 door couple (with hatchback) based on the Vauxhall Vectra platform, it was roomy inside, had a factory electric sunroof and had more than adequate performance and handling. The rear seats could be folded down to allow for a huge luggage capacity and it was, to my mind, a very pretty car.
It was available in 3 variants, a “poverty pack” 2 litre engine with an automatic gearbox which was, oddly, a completely different package than the other two. It was the least desirable of the range, developing only 84bhp. The next model up was powered by a 16 valve 2.0 litre fuel injected engine developing early 120 bhp. It was coupled with a 5 speed manual gearbox and was the most common model in terms of sales. The top of the range was a 2.5L V6 available only as an automatic. This engine developed 158bhp. All models were front wheel drive though well developed dynamics meant that the dreaded torque steer was never a problem.
In all I owned 4 Calibras over a number of years. The first one, pictured here, lasted well until an altercation with an errant wombat at the top of Brown Mountain in southern NSW re-arranged the left front suspension and, despite it being repaired, it was never the same after that. Later I bought another red one that was passed on in favour of a bigger car. Later, after I moved to Wollongong, I bought a white one (all 16V models) and, later again, I bought a V6 auto. Of them all, the V6 was the most luxurious and lasted me well until something else shiny took my fancy. Incidentally, the Calibra wasn’t a cheap car. The V6 went onto the market in the late 90s for the eye-watering price of $56000, yes, you read right.
I loved all my Calibras and would have another one if I could find one in good shape.
My late grandfather was a man who seemed to always be swapping his cars, I remember that well from my childhood. Perhaps this characteristic was passed down to me.
Things I used to do. These days not so much but it sure is nice looking back on them. I hope to update this theme regularly throughout this 50th anniversary year, I hope you enjoy the journey.