Driving Motor Bikes and Motor Vehicles

There are 4 classes of Motor Vehicles, identified by the letters A to D

Class A are Motor Bikes

My brother, Bryn, owned a Triumph Speed Twin 500cc Motor Bike long before I ever drove one. I obtained a provisional licence and he taught me to drive it. I passed my driving test on it at the first attempt, and he later sold it to me.

The following photo is of the correct model, but it isn't of our actual bike.

In the summer of 1965 the two of us travelled out to the Alps together on it for a fortnight, loaded with climbing kit, a tent, sleeping bags and cooking equipment. This was the most significant motor bike journey I ever made.

Crossing the USA in Greyhound Coaches in 1960 I ran across someone with a Harley Davidson motor bike who let me take a solo spin on it. I was most impressed. In 1960 I think it was the most advanced motor-bike in the world - the acceleration was truly breath-taking.

Class B are Cars

As soon as I reached my 17th birthday I obtained a provisional driving licence and six weeks later I passed my driving test at the first attempt. Six years later I also passed my IAM driving test at the first attempt. So far, I have never picked up a speeding ticket or faced prosecution for a driving offence.

I have owned many cars over the years, but probably the most memorable ones were an MGC GT, a Triumph Stag, and my current Toyota automatic hybrid.

MGC GT

Triumph Stag

Class C are HGVs

In government-funded organisations, you must end each financial year having completely spent all of that year’s allowance, or the following year’s allowance will be reduced. When I was on the HQ Staff of Cambridgeshire Army Cadet Force they were about to end a financial year without having spent all they needed to do, so I volunteered to step in and be trained as an HGV driver, passing my HGV driving test at the first attempt. I had no use for the qualification, so I have never driven an HGV since passing my test.

Class D are Buses and Coaches

It would have been nice to have completed the ‘Hat Trick’, but the opportunity never arose.

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