Growing Old Disgracefully

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Living proof that growing old may be inevitable but growing up is voluntary.

My wife of 28 years had never been on a bike until September 2007 despite me being on my 54th bike. Since my last accident left we with severe mobility problems and unable to drive a car (right ankle does not work) she decided to join me and now loves it.

This is us leaving home for the annual "Toy Run" in December 2007 where some 24,000 bikers got together and donated 12.5 tons of toys and 7 tons of food to the Salvation Army to be distributed to the needy kids and parents of our city and State.

This was our 30th run and I have missed only one when I was in hospital, it was my wife's 1st and hopefully we will
have a few more left in us yet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/cookie99/Image_003-1.jpg

[Maxis Gamez]

No Image Christopher.

[Alfred Forns]

His Chris image not coming up !!!! What kind of bike? Can post one of my ZX12-R

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Hope I fixed the image.

Please do Alfred, I raced Kawasakis (my last race bike was an H2R)

This is my personal love my much modified Yamaha FZ1 on which I do my monthly track days at Phillip Island, the bike on which my wife is on is my new Suzuki Bandit 1250 which I bought for the two of us to tour on and is a great powerful machine but the FZ1 is the greyhound and has gone through the speed trap at Phillip Island at 290 KMH.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/cookie99/Fizzy.jpg

[Alfred Forns]

Nice naked street bike !!!!! Love it Will post below my Ninja ZX-12R Had also an Aprilia RSVR and Suzuki SV600 Those are track only

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Beautiful bike Alfred (and the right colour)

Over the years I had a full range of Kwakas 250, 360, 500 Triple (Wow) 750 triple (Wow+) then the 900's which I raced until buying the 750 H2R (02) which I raced for three seasons by which time I had "almost" learned to ride it safely

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/cookie99/GreenMeany.jpg

[Alfred Forns]

I like those sweet two stroke bikes Chris !!!! When I raced Middle twins the guys running 125cc would give us a good run Amazing The 250cc we had trouble keeping up with !!!! Go Green !!! btw my internet handle for years was Need4Green !!!!

[Alfred Forns]

............. btw my greatest hero is Mick Doohan !!!!

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Hi Christopher !!! One brave wife you have and my sincere congratulations to her for making her first trip. Beautiful bike for sure and my hats go off to you for raising all those great toys for all the needy children. Thanks for sharing this wonderful stroy !!!

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Alfred I met Mick a few times and don't like him much, however a more "Vigorous" rider you are unlikely to meet.

I also knew Barry Sheene (prior to his death from cancer) and helped organise the memorial Barry Sheene ride which takes place on the Thursday before the Australian MotoGP and where about one thousand of us ride from Bairnsdale in the East of the State to Phillip Island. The money raised goes to "Canteen" a cancer foundation for teenagers with the disease (Barry's favorite charity.)

http://www.motorcyclesaust.com.au/barrysheene_ride.htm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/cookie99/DSC04614.jpg


One thousand of us leave the Grand Prix circuit at Phillip Island at the end of the first Barry Sheene ride.

[Maxis Gamez]

Dang.... this is AWESOME!!

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Hi Christopher !!! One brave wife you have and my sincere congratulations to her for making her first trip

Thanks Judy, she is brave in more ways than one.

Sue is battling a serious kidney disease and has been for some years, she is a very highly qualified nurse who runs a rehabilitation ward at a major hospital for patients with burns and severe head injuries and many motorcyclists have passed through her hands over the years, yet she has always supported me in my love of bikes despite seeing the results of mishaps on them.

I have also persuaded her to tackle photography and bought her a 30D and a few good L series lenses (she will of course be better at it than myself but I can live with that)

[Fabs Forns]

I live it!! Way to go.... I'm very disgraceful too ;)

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

I live it!! Way to go.... I'm very disgraceful too

Great stuff Fabs I should send you our motorcycle club patch. see below.

http://infocom.cqu.edu.au/Staff/Errol_Vieth/Home_Page/images/logobig.jpg

I don't know if you would qualify for membership Fabs as you can join as a "Junior" member at 40 years old or a "Full" member at 50+ but if you do we would love to have you and Alfred as Honorary members.

http://www.amcmotorcycles.com/index.html?lang=en-uk&target=d179.html

I have been a member for some time but don't ride with them often as with the preponderance of prostate problems among the aging men they very rarely ride past a public toilet without stopping and I like my rides loooong and interesting.:)