I've been on bikes for 55 years now, would not change one minute of my motorcycling. Apart from the sheer fun of riding,it got me a ace wife, 40yrs and still arguing, a business, some really good mates.
I have always encouraged lads into motorcycling, as I tell them its the most fun you can have with your clothes on, and cheaper and often less grief as you can easily junk the dud ones.
My problem is, I have seen so many promising lads put off bikes for life because they were sold a pup which cost a fortune in repairs, no one restored anything after 1930 back then; or they bought something totally unsuitable, or got bad advice from some cackhanded "expert". All those poor saps that bought Pride and Clarkes specials for instance, Pannonias, TWN, Guzzi Lodolas, CZ and found they could not get spares or service and the seller did not give a toss.
Put off for life they were. I see danger of it being repeated with Kempton Park specials. It's the hard blunt truth that these are not suitable for beginners to start with, plenty of old tat British two strokes about instead. Unsellable, sometimes un-insurable, totally unsuited for the roads except for Buzzing club runs and the like, so you get stuck with them.
The French don't want to help,they hate us anyway; I was member of the Motobecane club, the biggest in France, getting anything out of them was like drawing teeth. I used to go back and forth a lot so bought my stuff at jumbles there, where they are happy to take our money. Advice? forget it. Spares? not from private people, as I said, ebay.fr is ok but postage rates especially for parts outside of France varies considerably, often depending on the post master/mistress.
Motorcycles are great, restoring them is mostly a lot of fun and learning, riding them is great, but don't start on a Kempton special.
Looking for fellow owners is naive its probably the only one in the UK.
If Tony wants any help with French terms or sites I can help, don't expect song and dance and pretty things. I bought my experience hard.
