Taking the Bandit by the horns

Saturday 12th July I’m standing on the forecourt of Sinclairs VW dealer Bridgend, I must be sensible as Gordon Brown seems determined to rob me at the petrol pump point, so I look past the Golf GTi’s and stare at the 1.9tdi Passats, nice cars but as exciting as a pair of socks.

The salesboy has been on all the courses and oozes smarm by the tub load, as he snorts out another laugh in an effort to become my best mate and nick my hard earned. I stare blankly over his shoulder nodding like Churchill the dog and then I see it, a huge bright red japanese style S. I told the salesboy with no off-switch I needed ten minutes to decide on the colour of my new boring mobile and wandered towards the S were I found it attached to Thunder road motorcycle dealer.

I’d passed my test in 1985 when I was 20 years old and bought a Kawasaki GPZ, my love affair with that bike didn’t last long since some scrot decided to blind side it with a capri, w****r! I’d loved that bike but by the time the insurance was sorted (because the w****r wasn’t insured) I’d bought a house so the money was funnelled into that hole with a plan to by another bike when I was square, only as you all know that’s never the case.

So I stood in the showroom looking at the Honda’s, Triumph’s and Suzuki’s. The salesman turned up and told me to have a wander and sit on what I wanted. I tried a Honda Super Blackbird, it felt quick just sat there. I sat on a Honda Goldwing and that felt more comfortable than my settee. But then I sit on a Suzuki Bandit and it felt right, nice, comfortable and looked great in black.

The salesman come up with a great deal and even sorted some gear for me, so I did it bull by the horns style, an hour later I was back at VW telling the walking mouth that the deal was off because I’d bought a Suzuki 1250SA Bandit and I was keeping my car!

All this brings me to how I felt on take your bike to work day, excited, loved riding it and couldn’t wait to get back on to go home, I’ve got a lot of learning to do and a lot of miles but who cares, beats a Passat and sensible hands down.