PETE ’ S PEOPLE
him tell his own story .
YOUNG LOVE “ One of the first times I fell in love with motorbikes was when I was about 10 years old . I was on my B . M . X . push-bike up along Karangahape Road , and a pair of 900cc Ducatis came off the Symonds St off ramp , down the hill , roaring past me – there was me - giving them a massive grin and thumbs up . The sound of those two bikes I have never forgotten . Who knows what I was doing up on K- Road at nighttime as a kid , but I was . “ When I was even younger , my family and I were invited to a BBQ . It was put on by Len Perry and family , he was a pretty famous old New Zealand bike racer who Dad knew . There I was , surrounded by race bikes , and everything two wheels , and I was truly in heaven . I got it into my head that if I spent all night sitting on this little two-stroke Honda , Mum and Dad would surely see how keen I was to have a bike , and buy it for me . Well , the little Honda didn ’ t end up in our garage , I think it was one hell of a party and they didn ’ t notice my plan . ( Aww , Ed ) And my Mum ’ s never been a fan of the old motorbikes .” I have to say here , that Mum , Pauline , and Dad , Mike , are two of the most delightful people I ’ ve met , they pop along to most Every Sun meetings if they can make it ( health permitting ) and always have a story , a cheery word and an encouraging anecdote about riders and the wider family . Pauline must have had a hell of a time if what Mark says is true about her not liking old bikes . She ’ s a saint . Growing up , Mark says he found it , “ really hard to get away with anything ”, and immediately slides into a story where he went joyriding ( in 2023 parlance – stole ) in his dad ’ s pride and
KIWI RIDER 81