Our meet the member for Spring 2022 is David Adams, a member of the club since 2013.

One day while attending a free burger event at BMW Motorrad North Oxford Garage, the Oxford Section was having a recruitment drive and had a Gazebo there. David started to talk with Rosemary Hicks and after a short while Rosemary gave David one of those old-fashioned looks, meaning that’s it, I expect you to become a member and he duly signed up!

David initially trained as a physical chemist working at the Department of Chemical Engineering as a research technician at Imperial College, London and later as an analyst at a precious metals refinery in North Acton. He now lives in High Wycombe and having returned to university to undertake a postgraduate medical science degree, has for the past 10 years provided scientific services to the pharmaceutical industry, specifically in oncology, transplantation, virology and neurology.

In the early 1960s his family emigrated to Australia and it was here that David spent his formative years. It was during this time that motorbikes came on the scene. He was 16 when he passed his driving licence. At the age of 17 he declared to his father that he wanted to get a fabulous motorbike, a 500cc Triumph Thunderbird Twin but to his disappointment had to settle for a more parent-friendly, new rider machine – a red Yamaha YG1 single cylinder 80cc instead! Parents can be so frustrating!

He then started to have more fun and got a Yamaha 350 RB5 twin two stroke, very light and quick bike and it must have been striking in orange and black. He kept this bike for a year or so. Next came what was arguably the first real superbike of the 1970s, a beautiful Kawasaki Z1, 900cc, DOHC in line four.

In the summer of 1976 h.e came over to London and he bought a Triumph Trident T160V.

More recently he acquired a new 2016 GS Adventure and also a K1300S. He has owned three of these intercontinental missiles!

The guy he bought it from was 75 and thought it was time for someone else to have a lot of fun on the bike. It was very low mileage too at 6700 miles. It is probably David’s favourite bike, loving the effortless power and distinctive exhaust note.

David is fortunate enough to have a 2014 Fireblade SP fitted with a quick shifter and an Akropovic exhaust system. Additionally, he has recently acquired a 2001 BMW R1100S, (the third of this model). Quite a collection!

David’s most memorable ride comes from August 2013 in France on a blue R1100S. With his biking partner Jim, they loaded the bikes on a train in Paris to Avignon and started the adventure in earnest from the South of France. From Avignon through the Luberon National Park to Forcalquier, a charming Provencal small town. From there they went south to Castellane via the Gorge du Verdon, a spectacular Gorge.

 Next north to Sisteron and then up to the top of Mont Ventoux at 1900 metres.

  

After that, riding to the historic ancient town of Briancon and then north heading back to Paris via Grenoble and Annecy, a town famous for its wonderful Raclette, basically cheese melted on various meats and potato, not to be confused with an après ski favourite, a Tartiflette. After a very good stay they went back through Macon, Beaune, Avalon, Auxerre and back to Paris.

When considering what he loves about biking, David says he likes to have time to himself to think and plan things in the future. There is a great connection with the outside world that one does not get with a car and a visceral sense of being alive. He loves being able to hop on the bike and park outside the café, restaurant or pub.

The only downside that David can think of is getting wet and the lost time spent cleaning the bike!

If money were no object a trip to the US to ride Route 61 from New Orleans to Chicago would be right up there. Taking in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Memphis and Missouri and then into Illinois with the music stops enroute making it very memorable, reflecting the transition of early jazz in the South, Delta Blues and finally the R&B electric blues of Chicago. Doing it on an Indian FTR 1200 would be the perfect companion!

When he is not biking, David is to be found on the tennis court, as he plays most days. Road cycling on his race-replica Bianchi is a passion too. If he had more time, more track days and after a 12 month break, is hoping to return to Kung Fu (Wing Tjun style, a Cantonese martial art that after 40 years of practice, he is yet to master!) As a lifelong student of blues guitar, he really enjoys going to jazz and blues festivals, both here in the UK, Europe and the US. And finally David is a regular on the Meetup rides. A very active retirement!