Mmmm if your return to the world of professional skating is anything to go by, I fear there may not be a “then”. Or at least a hefty hospital stay.
When I got my first bike it was a Yamaha RD250 it ended badly when a crank shaft balancing weight came loose and locked up the engine and back wheel.
A neighbor had a RD 350 and sold it to me so I married the two together. I was pulled over on the eastern freeway by a motor bike cop that struggled to accelerate as quickly as I did as I just entered the freeway he was convinced it was bigger than a 250 but couldn’t find the small stamp at the bottom of the cylinder.
I was booked for changing lanes without indicating. I had in fact just split the lanes and went straight up middle between cars. 
Ahh all at 17
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Let’s keep this thread to Show and Tell.
Pics and story, not nostalgia please 
My advice would be to spend money on quality riding gear. The only reason I still have a right foot was because I was wearing Alpine stars when I got hit.
Dress like you are going to crash every time. Hopefully you’ll never test your gear. I’ve hit cars five or more times, trees twice (off bitumen) and just slid down the road more than I can remember.
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Agree 100%, i’d never jump on my road bikes without full leathers on. Literally saved my skin a couple of times. A good thing to remember is that your bike may love you but it still wants to kill you.
This was One of my Blades
But it fell off the side of a mountain and turned into this. (these were taken at a mates place straight after the acco.)
And then got replaced with this.
All without any serious injuries to me all thanks to my leathers, even after sliding down the road for about 30m on my back.
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Never getting a bike now. Thanks, everyone!
Bones heal, chicks dig scars and pain is just weakness leaving the body
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No, thank you.
That photo of the orange one was when it was still just a month or so old so probably about 3 months after the acco.
If you have a close look at both back tyres you can see, No chicken strips on the black/yellow, but a good 10-15mm on the new one 
It took a few more months before i got rid of them too, that stack really took the wind out of my sails, it was about 2 years after i got the orange one that i gave up roadies. Now it’s just a WR 450 and bush bashing for me.
I rode on the road a little when I was a lot younger. Not keen… dirt bikes are much more fun, and if I screw up, it’s my own fault, not some numpty that can’t see moving objects…
But the pain returns as you get older. Wish someone had told me when I was young and stupid.
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My first bike was my SV1000 below. Ran the gauntlet for riding out of class for the 12 months before i could get my big bike license.
Came close to loosing my license a few to many times so got something a bit more comfortable at highway speeds but still tonnes or torque. So i swapped the SV for the DL1000. Same engine slightly different tune. Good fun on gravel.
Off road i have a berg FE501. This thing puts massive smiles on my face and suits my lazy riding style.
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I accidentally uploaded the tank. Then I thought wow, that’s cool. It’s a Matilda tank I believe.
Edit: Correction, it’s a Churchill
My ride.
My other love.
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I think that’s a Churchill tank - the exposed tracks and the boxy turret give it away.
Photo of a Matilda for reference.
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These are my hats and helmets, collected over a few years now. Nothing rare or exciting but cool looking.
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Yeah mate some interesting hats there for sure. Looks good mate, a good talking point when having a few lagers. Your Aussie slouch hat appears to be facing backwards mate. Should be turned up on the left, however there was a time Pre federation I believe, when certain units wore it turned up on the right.
Good catch. I hadn’t noticed that.
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Does your slouch hat have the rising sun badge on the side, and a Corp badge of any description on the front mate?
No, it was never issued and so no badges. I’ve been meaning to get a rising sun badge for it but never got around to it. It is a 2001 Akubra which were the last lot to be surplussed before the rules changed.
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