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Right! Where do I start? From the beginning I suppose?
My interest in biking started when my family and I went to Canada when I was 10 years old in 1968. I went to Stuartown Senior High School in Georgetown, Toronto. At the weekends we stayed in a log cabin. I used to help on a farm and the farmer had two motorcycles and sidecars.
The farmer asked if I would like to have a go on one. I said, “Yes please.” so he started one up. I climbed up on the bike, it had a foot clutch and hand gears so I had to stand up to operate it. I got used to this, but the other one had the gears on the other side. When I asked the farmer why this was, he said it was so the police could use them, they could use their firearms when chasing criminals. One of the bikes was a Harley and the other was an Indian.
When we came back to the UK, I started a job as a metal polisher; I used to help a guy called John who restored vintage motorcycles. John asked if I would like to take my bike test, so I said I would. He gave me a BSA Bantam and said “If you pass your test, I will take you to a motorcycle rally.” I passed my test in 1978 and it only cost me £3.00 in those days.
John met me outside of the house with his ‘Black Maria’ and said “You don’t need the Bantam today as I have got a little treat for you in the back of the van”. When he opened the back of the van, I had to laugh because the bike was a vintage one with a leather drive-belt. When you went uphill you had take one of the links out with a pair of pliers then you had to put it back in when going downhill. So, with having to pump some oil in for every mile, I spent the whole journey laughing my head off.
I had my accident in 1985; just my luck - it was April 1st. I had 21 separate injuries, so I could go on about it, but I’ll spare you that.
It has been a long time since I have ridden a bike though I’ve always felt like a biker on the inside. I had a Triumph Bonneville T140E at the time of the accident and I owned a Harley Davidson Electraglide that I got from a friend, who’d bought it off Johnny Cash.
When I began looking for a bike to convert to a Trike I remembered what John had said, “Get as much information as you can about different bikes and go for the best one”. So I have done that and gone for a Kawasaki 1600 VN Classic.
I got in touch with the Trike Shop in Cardiff and told them what I wanted. When I went to the Trike Shop, I’m not ashamed to say that I had a big lump in my throat. Needless to say it was a very emotional time. Right up until it was delivered, I was pinching myself.
I would like to thank them for all the work and specially adapted reverse gear and integrated brake system and Kliktronic control gear change.
Thank you to NABD for the grant to do this for me.
Alan Day
This NABD Grant of £800.00 was sponsored by a
donation from
The Virago Star Owners Club
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