First driving experience.

[russ92xmsed]

I don't mean to be rude, but you are the most unlikely motorbike rider I have met Matthew!!! Kudos to you! The Ducati is impressive...

[JD01JD]

You guys are making me feel very young...

The first car I ever drove was my mother's 1996 Subaru Impreza when I got my learners at 16, gave up learning after a few weeks until I got my first XM when I was 18 - probably not the best first car especially to learn to drive in. Four years later and I'm now on my second XM. Thats it...

[MTXM]

I don't mean to be rude, but you are the most unlikely motorbike rider I have met Matthew!!! Kudos to you! The Ducati is impressive...

The Ducati which I briefly owned about five years ago was a beauty to behold and to hear, but I confess a bit scary to ride and not really my thing I discovered after having been used to plodding British bikes! I have not regularly ridden the BSAs sadly since living in London some twenty five years ago (scary), but I would never sell them and hope to restore and resurrect in my retirement perhaps! With regards, Matthew T.

[Ciaran]

fondly remember being stuck in traffic in the blistering heat of the sun on the M6 with smoke pouring out from under the bonnet as it readied itself for another round of spontanious combustion, windows down and heater on full bore as it liked to overheat as well as people passing pulled alongside to tell me the car was on fire, such happy times

I literally cannot read that with a straight face, I'm in stitches here. Excellent Dean!

Ciarán

[MTXM]

I am quite unable to compete with Dean, but I did have a couple of memorable experiences with my Beesa 350, including once when I broke down late at night and pushed the bike about eight miles back to my digs across the hills of Kent! On another occasion the under-seat engine oil tank split and apart from regular stops for checking and adding fluid the whole rear end of the bike was nicely pickled by my arrival home! Regards, Matthew T.

[Dieselman]

It must be something about vauxhall's.

I had a Magnum with the slant 4 OHC engine. The cam cover was a thin metal pressing which had a tendency to leak oil past the gasket, right onto the exhaust manfold. Only once did I genuinely think it was about to burst into flames.

Another Vauxhall...this one a brand new 1.3 Cavalier (fast, eh)...right from the off, everytiime I went on a Motorway it would start to fire on 3 cylinders. A dealer replaced the spark plugs stating they were the wrong ones. A few days later, same again. Into another dealer, but no problem found..well, not with the engine anyway, only the hazard lights and one front shock absorber.

A few weeks later, late December, on the M1 and a cloud started to follow me, to the point where people were flashing me. The car wouldn't go over 60mph, so I limped on for a bit until...the engine stopped with oil pouring out of the air filter.

afaik, Vauxhalls are just as reliable today...

[Dean]

In my case the Safira? Vauxhall seems to be following the tradition of cooking its occupnts, but it cant of been all bad as a few years later i bought a red Cav SRI which never cought fire although it did have a hole in the fuel tank so i could never put more than half a tank of fuel in it, which was fine as i couldnt afford to so it worked out well.

We cannot mock Vauxhall though as they were responsible for the Lotus Carlton and i guess the Opel Manta, rather like the Chevette too, like a lot actually, really nice looking car.....................................im sorry everyone, not sure what happened there, i promise i wont do it again.

D

[xmexclusive]

Seems on topic to me.

[Dean]

I think perversions of any kind should not be tolerated on the forum John, Ciaran will probably turn up in a minute and start talking about his dark and disgusting Calibra habbit next.

D

[russ92xmsed]

Ahem..... I have a secret admiration for the Calibra. ....a perversion indeed.
Promise I won't mention it again!