I am getting older, no doubt about it really. When you hit 50, it is impossible to disguise the fact. The Yamaha induced nose needed surgery recently, the KTM collar bone fractured easily when the Honda dumped me, the Suzuki haematoma on the leg aches a bit, and the Honda thumb forewarns of weather changes.

I started my dirt bike riding on a Yamahe DT360 in 1974. It was a prick of a thing really, but it was fast in straight line. I defected to a Montesa 250 (still have it in the shed in bits) and then back to Jap bikes that were cheap and reliable. A string of bikes including a lovely KS125 Kawasaki, and a couple of PE175 Suzukis. Tough and reliable bikes, but also heavy and under powered. It was then that I decided to start enduro racing. I needed power and suspension. I needed a KTM! At the age of 34 I bought a KTM 300. it was really a 270 cc 2 stroke, but it had long legs and a front disc. Much better. When I turned 35 I really wanted to win the Veterans class at our local enduro series ( green triangle enduro series: see gtenduro.com.au) so I updated to a 89 KTM250, with a power valve and 2 discs and I got fit. A series of second and third places and one flukey win , saw me earn one of those large ugly trophies for my shed.