SUZUKI V-STROM 800 DE

"Come and have a day riding with us," they said. "In fact, we'll come to yours. It'll be a lovely day out, we'll buy you lunch," they promised. "

- James Robinson

It'll be fun," they assured. I thought of this as I huddled under the trees, out of the worst of the torrential rain but still stood, slowly sinking, in a muddy puddle, as pictures were taken of the three trailies I'd been seconded in to ride. But, still, one can't complain - and as an old mate of mine used to say regarding doing this job for a living: "It's always better than digging a ditch." Albeit I'd realised I was actually standing in such a ditch, and it'd be raining just as hard if I was digging it, as riding in the rain, so nothing to complain about really.  Plus, I knew where the good café was for my promised lunch. And they'd have homemade soup.

So there was certainly nothing to complain about really, which was especially true regarding 'our' motorcycles either. I'd been allocated - indeed, it'd even been delivered to my home, on the edge of Thetford forest, hence the others were keen to head over this way - the Suzuki V-Strom, which I was more than happy about, having both a little history with the model and the firm's off-roaders, too. My first-ever road-going motorcycle was a 1973 Suzuki TS125, registration CGV 102L, which I bought what's fast approaching 30 years ago, from its owner from new, who lived across the road from my Dad. The orange TS was mint and cost £300. Though I sold my Suzuki years ago, I've always had a soft spot for Suzi off-roaders, which also lead to the purchase of one that had been used in the 1965 ISDT. I sold it on, whereupon it was restored and has subsequently starred at many classic shows.