In the Winter 2019 Journal, we met John Ottaway. Now it is time to meet Wendy Ottaway, who was, for a couple of years, Social Secretary of the BMW Oxford Club.

How did you first start riding motorbikes?

My first experience of riding a motor bike was many years ago in a field, in Weymouth, whilst camping. John had a Triumph Bonneville, so he said I could have a go on it. After doing a doughnut, not on purpose I hasten to add, I was not allowed on the front again. I was only allowed to sit on the back and jump off with a screwdriver in hand, when the clutch slipped and adjust it!

When did you get your own bike?

We now move forward about 25 years. John came home with his first brand new bike, a CBR 600 and said, ‘you’ll be all right on the back’. Well, looking at the size of the seat and my derrière, I may have said, ‘I don’t think so’! His reply was, ‘get your own then’, and after a couple of seconds I said, ‘I will then!’

John bought a Kawasaki 125 KDX trail bike, so I could learn to ride after completing my CBT. I used to go out with him and/or friends to get a bit of practice, then off to do my test, which to say the least was not the best experience. While waiting at a set of traffic lights, I wondered why the examiner overtook me while I waited patiently for the lights to change. Then I realised I was waiting on green and I went on red. Whoops a bit of a blonde moment, therefore suffice to say, I failed that one. A little later, following a three-day intensive course on a Honda 600, I passed with just a couple of minors, yippee!

My fist bike was a Red one (apparently that doesn’t mean much to real bikers), John suggested more information such as make model cc etc was needed, so it was a Suzuki Bandit 600. Later in that year I took part in a ladies sponsored motor bike ride from London to Edinburgh for young people with Breast Cancer. Most of the riders had suffered from Breast cancer and were all under 50. There was about three of us who fortunately did not, a few of us were even in the Sun Newspaper, not in the first few pages though! I had a great time, met many lovely people, visited nice places while getting experience riding my bike. We even had a police escort along the royal mile in Edinburgh, stopping all the traffic for us and we raised several thousand pounds for the charity.

My next riding experience was a scooter, in the Greek Islands. We rode on lots of roads and different terrain, from hills too steep for the scooter – with having to scoot along reminiscent of a carry on film / comedy sketch- and even a road which had not officially opened. We always had to check there was no mileage restriction with the scooter, for we would go all over the Island, probably putting on as many miles in the two weeks as they usually have in six months.

What overseas tours have you been on?

My first trip abroad was to Assen with a group of John’s mates (mainly on Sports bikes). We started off together and soon it was just John and I. When we arrived at the hotel there were only two couples there; somehow we managed to beat the others, apparently one had stopped at some lights but the others did not. Whoops, lots of bits of broken bikes, but thanks to Duck Tape for temporary repairs, the bikes were OK, fortunately just pride was hurt. The Tortoise and the Hare fable came to mind.
As John and I were planning to ride abroad a bit more, I thought I had better get a new bike. So I bought a Black one, a Kawasaki Z750, which I still have. We are not rich enough to have more than one BMW in the family! So off we went to Germany. What a great experience. I invented a new name for most of the roads. Whisties, a mixture of twisty and windy together, which perhaps I did not have much confidence to make the most of.

A reunion of the previous charity ride was taken over by Harley Davidson, so I rode a Ulysses, a bit like a GS, not the best bike to be ridden. The clutch slipped and the speedo did not always work. This time we were escorted by the police to Shakespeare’s house in Stratford. Someone asked me if we were being thrown out by the Police? When I said what we were doing, we were treated to free ice creams!
Next in America, we hired Harleys, well you have to there, haven’t you? I had a 1200 Sportster and John had a Fat Boy! After a while we swopped bikes. His was a lot bigger and nicer to ride, so when he indicated he wanted to change back, I might just have ignored his hand signals for a while!

Another holiday and another bike, off to the Himalayas this time, on Royal Enfields. After eventually getting used to brakes, clutch issues etc, on the wrong side of the road and huge lorries driving at you whilst continually sounding their horn. Not a sign of aggression apparently, just to let you know they are there, on what I would very loosely call a road. A great adventure and it really did test my riding and nerve. Apart from the roads we went through mud, gravel and streams and a river. I was riding at the back and saw the rest of the group over the other side of the river and wondered where the bridge was? Well all I could remember was hearing them all shouting ‘don’t stop’. So unusually, I did as I was told, not sure how, but then I was across the river, alive, upright and only soaked up to my knees.

All went well until the last but one day of riding. I remember hearing when I was learning to do my U turns (which I still don’t like), ‘you will go where you look’. After riding through a small stream, I settled down to pick out where best to go on the ‘road’ and saw a big rock which I kept looking at. Now it has probably been there since before the dinosaurs and it was not going to move. Sure enough I hit it, fell off and broke a rib, so in the truck for me that afternoon and the next day.

My next biking experience was off to Africa on a hired BMW 800. It was easy to get used to and I quite liked it. The hard luggage was not much good, but at least I did not lose any of my stuff unlike some others. The small roads were like those in the Himalayas, the main roads a bit like here, full of potholes! On the way to Rorke’s Drift, the Zulu battlefield, we came across another type of road I have never experienced before and hopefully never again, where for miles of what I can only describe as riding over gravel covered corrugated iron, awful. Again, bringing up the rear, all the rest of the group had waited for me, I went passed shouting ‘if I stopped I wouldn’t start again’ so for a short time I was at the front and was not eating sand.

I found the riding challenging particularly a very steep gravelly hill up to our hotel. In the morning I even contemplated getting John to ride the bike back down, but I gritted my teeth instead! We rode through reserves with Rhinos, Giraffes, Zebras to name a few including a herd of dozy Wildebeest, that ran in front of us, then turned around and ran back across the other way. Not quite the same as a herd of cows or sheep.

Riding through sand was another ‘first’ riding experience. Like the river crossing, I just hung on for dear life and apparently it looked quite good as if I knew what I was doing. I had no idea, not even sure if I even had my eyes open, or, even breathing that time either.

There have been other riding holidays with the BMW club on my Kawasaki and I have thoroughly enjoyed them all and when not with John, I have been well looked after by those very patient people, (they will know who they are) and it is something I appreciated very much indeed.

How have you customised your motorbikes?

I have often been asked why John and I do not have intercoms? Well after a trip down to Portsmouth, John was telling me to get past a lorry on the dual carriage way, then he shot off. I ended up on the wrong side of Portsmouth. Eventually when I found his bike, which I must admit I was tempted to kick over, he was in the pub! No way was I using that again, stick to hand signals. I also managed to get lost on a ride out to the docks in Portsmouth, but still managed to find my way back to the group quicker than John! In fairness he had come back to look for me.
A lack of a sense of direction leads me on to Sat Navs. I do not have a computerised one, mine uses paper, in a magnetic waterproof photo pouch, a map and reading the road signs. I have always managed to find my way home, admittedly not always by the most direct route!
I do however, have heated handle bar grips. After a very cold snowy wet time in Austria, I had them fitted but still prayed for all the lights to be red so I could put my hands on the radiator!

When not on your bike, what do you enjoy doing?

By trade I am a hairdresser and now work as a receptionist in a private care home and no, unfortunately, I cannot get any discounts!
Due to work and breaking my wrist gardening (it is a very dangerous hobby) I have not recently done much riding, but I hope to do so in the New year to add to my biking experiences.
In conclusion, I admit I am a dry weather biker, where I can really enjoy being on my motorbike. I may not be the fastest but eventually I get there and back even with my lack of sense of direction. I have some fantastic memories and experiences and met some lovely people. Thank goodness I passed my bike test!

Originally posted 2020-03-24 17:38:08.