Member: Notsven

At age 15, in 1973, I had my first two wheels with engine. An Everton with a 50cc Minarelli engine, topspeed around 60km/h. with my own modifications.

Could have been mine - looks pretty much like it.

Some 3 years later I got my license and my first real bike, a Honda CB350 Twin - a great little bike with sufficient power for a 18year old.

The bike had drum brakes on both wheels, and more than one time I overheated the front brake. Luckily for me I discovered this driving straight, so I could just skip the turn and continue.

A yellow version, mine was green.

Not so fortunate was my brother in law to be. An early morning in a little village he tried to part a Mini - the Mini won, killing Johan.

It was 13 years until I drove a bike again. During summer holidays on the Greek Islands I started driving small offroaders with Sophie on the backseat. The Kawasaki KLX250 being the preferred bike.

Not exactly greek beaches - but.

And I found out that I love it as much as I used to. But there had to be another accident, smaller though, before I bought a bike again. Someone banged into the side of my old Opel, and I got a little insurance money for it. So I went out and bought a Yamaha XT250 j

In white livery – I had the red edition.

Just to see if daily bike driving, considering the climate, was something for me, now. It was, and the XT was upgraded to winterbike and a XV535 was bought at an import shop, it was the ´87 model with almost no fuel tank (under the seat), so it was always tedious to ride with me because I had to refuel all the time. It was also too small for me, I mean I could almost use the front wheel bolts as highway pegs.

Summer of ´95 I guess.

It was traded, at the same shop for a ´85 XV1000 Gold Edition. That was something else, lots of torque, low rpm, loud exhaust, that was me. I rode it for almost 10 years.

At the Virago Club Denmark - General Assembly 2001 – after a serious makeover.

Then I got lucky ;-) I met Regitze. We took the bike to Italy in the summer of 2004 and found out that packing the hole shebang for two people on a Virago was quite difficult. Besides, the backseat is not designed for tall people. As Regitze didn't want to drive herself, the consequence was that Vigga had to go.

I found an ´86 ( wee a year newer !) XVZ1300 Venture Royale in Holland, did a little paint and brush up on it, and it still suits our needs.

At the dealers in Holland.

... and after a makeover.

It's a little heavy in the handling, so I do miss the good old Virago from time to time.

My new bike.

Best one ever.