What an excellent day out! Due to the format of the course we were split into groups, which meant that there would be more pictures of whomever was twinned with the trigger happy loony and his camera. In reality, we all had a thoroughly good time and each got great use of the bikes. Photos by TC, Roger & Muppet, and a spot-on review by Little Joe.

As you lot all know we went to the stunt wheelie school and if you didn't where the hell have you been for the past 3 months?!

After a neck-breaking ride down the M4 for 7 progressively distancing junctions riding my unfaired Bandit 600, I turn off at Junction 17 and wait for Mup following his GPS. We had booked a place at a local B&B but forgot to ask for exact directions so we arrived at 9.30p.m.

After putting our bags in our designated places and admiring the village feel of our surroundings, a trip to the local pub was in order (tip take a bag with you, alcohol take-outs become alot easier).

Sun goes down sun comes up, time to get up gradually doing all the morning bits which included a fry up breakfast hmm..!. all of a sudden it's 20 mins till start of the wheelie course which I'd like to add starts at 9.30, time to pay up and make tracks. Our host assured us that Kemble airfield (wheelie school site) was just up the road! which it as one could imagine wasn't.

The thoughts as we raced to find the place 'have we past it, how will we know the airfield' these were all dispersed when we say a great big aeroplane on the landscape, at that moment it all became apparent why they said 'you can't miss it' .

On our late arrival we were met by our group who travelled at least 60 miles and got there on time and wheelie Guru Andy who commented on our lack of Bandits for a Bandit Owners Group!

We were asked to sign a disclaimer which with all the excitement could have been anything! We didn't care we just wanted to get out there! After a demonstration run which made it look so easy, we were split into our groups.

My groups instructor Simon explained things gradually and had us cruising in 1st at 23mph on a bandit 1200 with nothing on the front except 2 tiny digital speedos!

'Now when your in the zone snap the throttle and it will pick up easy' The other two, Remi and Roger G, had both managed it and now it was my turn, the pressure was on! For the first time in my adolescent life I was worried that I would be able to get it up! Wouldn't be able to perform in front of the crowd! What if I don't get it up high enough! What if I get it up too high and cant control it!

23..23.. 23... go! Nothing! Turn around back down the marked stretch again and nothing, the pressure was too much. After a couple of attempts I was told and showed by Simon how pulling the handle bars and not relaxing makes it very difficult!

Well all struggled in the first part of the day with our personal wheelie gremlins but through the steep learning curve of the day, we were given pointers by Simon and kept safe by the wheelie killing device!

Then a welcome break for lunch as we were amused by the Aeroplanes and got some food in. This break was a much physical as mental and it made one hell of a difference!

Round 2 we got out there again, Remi a man Possessed, the mad Frenchman was really going for it and succeeding, he must have been thinking of how he could terrorise his local area with this new found skill!

Roger had a much more take it easy approach very cool, like the Rasta of wheelies, calm controlled smooth wheelies!

I, on the other hand, was all tense and having a good tug (on the handlebars) not making that much progress! The thing is like the others you knew what you had to do to get better but putting it into practise. Then a pep talk from Simon and Roger G seemed like the magic dust from Tinker Bell.

'Think happy thoughts was then general idea' then just like Peter whoosh I could fly! Again! Again! Wow! Consistent good controlled wheelies! The rest of the day was a race against the clock to get as good as possible as the time just evaporated into the unusually warm day.

Before we knew it we had to go. We said our good byes to the Simon and Andy, top blokes and a whole bag of laughs! All in all a great day out with the Lads with comedy provided by the staff and most of all we learned something.

As one of the younger members of the group I always find that our trips teach me a lot. Apart from the idea that wheelies are alot like sex in alot of ways, i.e. tugging too much won't get you anywhere, being all nervous and tense means you won't perform, if your not sure don't do it!

The other thing is GPS is no good Mup and I ended up going home via Stonehenge 118 miles to get home!

Joe

You had a good ride, didn't ya? And saw Stonehenge for the first time, bargain! Nice write-up mate, don't mind if I pinch it for the site, do ya? Ta.

Muppet