Jampot has been life changing for me

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Plugsnpoints
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Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by Plugsnpoints »

Ok, pull up a chair....

From a very young age I always had motorbikes around me. My Mum had one as a teenager at the end of the war, my dad had too many to mention, including two Scotts, a Square Four, and a T150 Trident in the 70's. His main bike before I was born was an A7 with a chair.


When I was a teenager in the late '70s I remember him trying to sell a Triumph 21 in original condition for 99 quid and nobody wanted it! There always seemed to be a British bike in the garage.


I was 14 in 1978 when he bought me my first bike-a 1960s chrome tanked Honda 90 for a tenner. I thrashed over the disused railway line (which is now a nature reserve!).


I was on the road on a moped at 16. I bought an Enfield Continental (not a GT model) in bits at 17. I spent weeks pulling it apart, and reassembling it out of necessity. Dad knew someone who took the barrel out to +60. I loved it, and passed my test on it at 17. I wanted a bigger bike, but couldn't afford a G3L as it was £350.

I eventually ended up buying my Dad's A10 on instalments. I loved it, and did lots of miles on it, including a bike rally in Belgium. I wish I'd never sold it. I had a brief few weeks with a Tiger 110 special, once owned by John Surtees. I sold it for £500!!

I sold it to buy a Moto Guzzi 500 from a mate in 1984 as it had brakes that worked and lights you could ride comfortably and quick at night.


A Guzzi 850 (another box of bits) followed. Thrashed it for a year or so then sold it. In 1986 I bought Guzzi 1000 G5. I did a million (nearly!) miles on it in the 18 years I owned it. Many memories and many girlfriends came and went while I had it!


However, in March 2004 I was knocked off the Guzzi. I don't remember a thing about it. A tracheostomy, and eight days in intensive care followed. I had five fractures, a collapsed lung and a traumatic brain injury.


I had to relearn a lot of things after that. I attended the Headway charity for five years. I didn't drive for three years. I vowed never to get a motorbike again, as I had lost so much, including my partner and whole family due to my head injury.

On the 7th of October my friend Andy said he was going to the Copdock Bike Show near Ipswich. I planned to paint my porch that day.


As the sun was shining I thought bugger it, it would be a shame to miss that after all. The last I went to the Copdock Bike Show was when I had the Guzzi and it was actually in Copdock back in 2001.


I met Andy and his mate in the Classic barn. We admired all the old British machines. I bought a book of raffle tickets from the AJS and Matchless club. I jokingly said if I won the bike I'd put it on the road...


We wandered around the show. A shock was my name had been called over the tannoy. I'd won the Model 30! The next thing was me shaking hand with Steve Parrish and sat on the bike.

I met Tony, your fund raising man who is such a nice fella, and made a brilliant job of restoring it. I collected it that evening.


I've bought a whole new set of clothing, and yup-I'm back on the road again!! I won't be going far on it yet as it's still early days, but to say it's brought a smile on my face is an understatement.

A week after getting the bike I won an M16 on ebay which will be on the road as well shortly.

I have thoroughly enjoyed digging out my Whitworth spanners again, as well as riding it. It will be well looked after.


I wanted to say a big thank you to you fellow Jampotters-especially Tony smith as I have rung him a few times in the past few weeks to pick his brains on things. He's been so helpful.

I might even meet some of you one day.

Andy :D
g5wqian
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by g5wqian »

hi Andy ;
great bit of reading there and hope you get many years of enjoyment out of the bikes again .

i have a model 30 also and thoroughly enjoy it and even though its a heavy bike when trying to push it , it is real easy to ride and chuck around the bends and lanes etc .

cheers , ian
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Ozmadman
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by Ozmadman »

What a brilliant story!! but sorry to hear that you " had lost so much, including my partner and whole family due to my head injury" ?? I too like many others bought a good number of tickets for that bike, its a great looking machine, hope you have lots of fun on it... and the M16
Paul
1960 Model 8
1974 Yamaha RD250B US Model 6 speed
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Rob Harknett
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by Rob Harknett »

Your life change has only just begun Andrew. A whole new world wide club of motor cyclists awaits you. Not sure where you are in Essex, there are club sections in the North East & South West of the county. I am in the East London & Essex Section that meets at Stapleford Airfield, nr Abridge, in the S. West of the county. You will find 20 or more of us in the airfield café a couple of Thursday's a month. Which opens in the evening just for our section. Traveling by car may be preferred in winter months. Sunday runs are also planned. In the better weather, mid week day time runs and lunch meets are planed. The section carries a small stock of spares if you need the likes of a cable a.s.a.p. Also special tools can be loaned, with a lot of knowledge how to use them etc.
raffles
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by raffles »

Hi Andy
very pleased to hear you are a happy man. Iam sure that the more you get to know this club
the more it will help you enjoy your motorcycling they are in general a most welcoming and
and very knowledgeable bunch.Sorry you had a small problem none of us are infallible.
Keep on enjoying yourself.
Tony
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by Group Leader »

Plugsnpoints wrote:Ok, pull up a chair....

I won't be going far on it yet as it's still early days, but to say it's brought a smile on my face is an understatement.
What a great story Andy!

About 15 months ago I returned to biking after 40 odd years and have now done over 4000 miles on my trusty '53 16MS and I still can't get the smile off my face :D

Welcome!

Alan
1953 AJS 16MS, 1939 BSA 250 and a 1/3 scale Sopwith Triplane but that's another story ..... :lol:
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by SPRIDDLER »

"Is it so nice as all that?" asked Moley...

"Nice? It's the only thing," said Ratty, as he eased his Ajay over the compression stroke. "Believe me, my friend, there is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing about with bikes."
"Simply messing...about with bikes. Riding or fettling 'em it doesn't matter. Nothing seems to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like."

Apologies to Kenneth Grahame
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood............'
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REW
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by REW »

Indeed...

"The poetry of motion! The real way to travel! The only way to travel! Here to-day—in next week to-morrow! Villages skipped, towns and cities jumped—always somebody else's horizon! O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my!"
Ron

1951 Matchless G3L thumping round the Durham Dales.
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Re: Jampot has been life changing for me

Post by alanjennings »

What a poetic lot we are, I'll be wandering about the Northampton lanes on Sunday with the vintage club !
Alan [Morini] Jennings
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