Bike 83

20th August 1983 - Earls Court

One of the clubs I was knocking around with in the 80s, (I think this was the Knight Bikers in Woking, Surrey), decided to have a run up to the Bike '83 Show in Earls Court. There was a supposedly secure Bike Park nearby, so that's where we left them.

I met a few people I knew at the show, including some members of the ABC, (A Bike Club), from Colney Heath, who I had previously met at the first two Shetland rallies.

After several hours looking around the displays and making such purchases as we considered necessary, we returned to the bikes, only to find one missing. I'm not sure if it was a GL1000 Gold Wing or the original GL500 Silver wing - based on the CX500, rather than the later one based on a scooter. We stood around for an hour or so filling in forms while every official there denied responsibility and then, accepting there was nothing we could do, we went home. I gave a lift to the guy without the bike.

I never found out how the situation was resolved, if it ever was. It was probably made worse by the fact that the rider had only borrowed the bike from his brother.

Phil Drackley - Phil the Spill