The Team:
Markus Hammler - Committee Member
Like a lot of people of my generation I took up motorcycling as an affordable means of transport. First buying a moped for the princely sum of £50 at age 16 before (despite my mother’s disapproval), graduating to a BSA Bantam once I was 17 and had saved up the necessary £100. At that time you could ride a 250cc bike forever on a provisional licence, using L-plates, so a 250cc two-stroke followed. This was my daily transport until I could afford a car and, despite passing my car test, I never actually took my motorcycle test.
When a mid-life crisis hit in my 40’s, and I decided it was time for me to get back into biking, I found that the test had got a bit more complicated than riding once round the block and not running over the man with the clipboard when he steps out in front of you to signal an emergency stop. I took my Direct Access test with the (now defunct) Stockton Borough Council training scheme in 2002 and bought a 600cc Bandit. This bike was far quicker and scarier than I remembered motorbikes being and taught me that I’d better brush up my skills before I did myself some serious harm.
I therefore signed up for the IAM Skills for Life course and passed my Advanced Test with them before discovering RoSPA. The big advantage of this alternative is that your triennial retest (free of charge if you continue to pay your annual subs) gives the opportunity to check and rectify any skills-fade on a regular basis.
For the last 20 years I have tried to give something back to both the IAM and RoSPA (who have made me a much more proficient motorcyclist) by supporting both organisations as much as I able with my time. This has allowed me to establish some longstanding friendships and have a grand time in the process. As well as hopefully making the world a slightly better place for other fellow bikers...
Whilst I don’t have a beard, I am afraid I do now ride a GS and cover around 10,000 miles each year with UK and European trips.