It's a family affair
September 17th Slough & Langley Observer.
A MAN who says he was born to ride motorbikes is teaching his son everything he knows about life on two wheels.
Richard Buckland, 43, of Cippenham, in Slough, has been passionate about motorcycles since he was ababy in a pram.
His son Tom has just turned 16. And to celebrate, he bought a used scooter which had been standing in a garden for two years. Richard helped his son strip down the scooter - a Benelli 491 Sport - and rebuild it
Tom has only had the scooter three weeks, but has already clocked over 1,000 miles. He is using it to commute to Reading College for his studies. But Tom already has designs on following in his father's footsteps and owning a motorbike.
He says: "My scooter gets me around every- where and I don't have to rely on my dad. He taught me how to be careful on the roads and check the scooter myself.
"I want to have a bigger bike and get a super- bike when I am 25."
Tom says his dream bike would be anMV Augusta F4 (lOOOcc). He intends to buy the bike only when he has learned how to ride safely.
Richard says his fascination with motorbikes began at an early age, "My mum reckons that the day I was born I liked motorcycles," he laughs.
"When I was in my pram I used to hear a motorcycle going past and make noises of it. I can never remember at the time what I did, but that's how I became interested in motorcycles'
Richard's first motorcycle was a BSA Bantam 125cc. He came across the bike doing a paper round aged 14. "It had been rusting away for 10 years in the back of the garden," he recalls. "I asked the chap what he was doing with it and he said 'nothing'., so he gave me it for free."
Richard repaired the bike and used it on the roads when he was 16 for a year. Since then, he has owned about 20 different motorcycles, including a 1979 MotoGuzzi 500cc and a 1971 Jupiter 3.
Richard is a representative of the Windsor and District Motorcycle Action Group (MAG). He is as passionate as ever about motorbikes and has just bought a 1998 Triumph Adventurer.
He says the friendliness between riders is the best thing about motorcycling. "Unlike when you're in a car, if you break down on the side of the road with a motorcycle, other bikers will always stop and help you," says Richard.
"Last year I stopped to put my waterproofs on and four motorcyclists stopped to see if I was all right.
"The brotherhood between motorcyclists is the best."
