|
|
Why I Ride
It gives me a chance to find that space inside my head.
Bikeography
I got my first bike at 17. A Yamaha 100cc road trail. Didn't have a car! Migrated to a Honda CB250T in 1981. Got married and out of bikes in 1982 which was a period of abstenance lasting 23 years. My latest love of my life, my Vstar 650, became part of the family in November 2005. I got my open licence in February 2006.
My Story
Born but not bred in England. By age three I was living in Zambia! At age nine my family had migrated to Tassie. Africa beckoned once more and in 1975, at age 14, we were back, in Rhodesia this time. Not for long though. It wasn't until we went back to Africa that we realised how great it was in Australia! We spent 18 months in Rhodesia and then 12 months in Namibia before coming to Western Australia in December 1978, I was 17. Fortunately I was offered a job as a computer operator with The West Australian Building Society. This magically opened the doors to computer programming, which became my career for 20 years.
In 1979 my Ma and Pa bought a house in Cooloongup. Pa thought that a motorcycle would be a good, cheap form of transport for his young daughter, so I bought a new Yamaha 100cc road trail. I got my license and rode around the place without a care in the world, like you do when you are 17. I quickly found the 100cc a little small, and purchased a Honda CB250T which I enjoyed immensely.
I met Steve in 1980, on the bus, travelling to work! We married in 1982 and Steve got me into sailing. Somewhere along the way we gave up riding. In 1989 Steve and I went on a two year working holiday to Great Briton, followed by a three year sailing adventure back here in Australia, where we lived aboard our SS34 and sailed her from Sydney to Perth, around "the top". We arrived home in 1993, bought a house in Safety Bay and have basically been here ever since.
My other love is music. I learnt recorder and clarinet before selecting the guitar as my favorite instrument. I started writing songs at 14. Got a lucky break in 1996 when Seeing Ear Records produced an EP using four of my songs, including "Seaflight", a tribute to WA's lone sailor David Dicks. This opened many doors for me, and since 2000 I have released two albums.
I got back into bikes in 2005. The latest love of my life is my Yamaha Vstar 650. She is just the prettiest thing I ever laid eyes on! Steve and I have completed two long bike trips. On the first trip, we rode across the Nullarbor, did a tour of Tassie and Southern Victoria and rode home again, covering some 12,500km. The second was three months doing Victoria as far north as Canberra. We would like to travel some more in the future, but I will always come home to Rockingham, because warts and all, I love this place.
Click here to view Jane's website!
|
