My first bike magazine was the August 1980 issue of "Bike". Touring test on the Ducati 900SS & Guzzi LeMans (mk II, a beautiful black and gold one), and a shoot out between the 500 Pantah and Laverda Montjuic
, also a write up on the Morini 500 Maestro. Pete Watson was writing a brilliant monthly column on the frustrations and joys of everyday riding, Dave Calderwood was still editor, Roland Brown was racing the Team Bike CB900, and Ogri was still going strong.....what a mag!!
Around that time, I saw Mad Max 1 for the first time, also Led Zeps movie "The Song Remains The Same". Got a Saturday job not long after that first mag at D & A Rayner Motorcycles in Chadwell Heath nr. Romford - Ducati, Laverda, Moto Guzzi, Yamaha - I was in heaven!
My brother bought his Z650 in the same year, and that was it - I had bikes running thro my brain like a stick of Brighton rock!
Kenny Roberts TZ may not sound like the power figures were huge, but remember, it was still pretty light and it was a 2 stroke = powerband!! A guy used to go up High Beach on an unfaired TZ750 with lights - everyone was in awe of it!