Motorcycling In London

Hi!
I've been living in London for a while now, and I've spent plenty of time fighting my fellow commuters in various forms of public transportation.  I've done walking, bicycling, trains, buses, trams, cars - everything but longboarding.
A while ago, as I approached the big four-oh, I began thinking about my daily commute to work.  My wife and I have always chosen places to live according to how easy it is to get to work - we've preferred to live closer to mainline aboveground railway stations than tube stations.  Neither of us could ever stand the idea of using the underground everyday.  Miserable.
So after many permutations, and trying to find the least expensive and easiest methods, the idea of motorcycling came up.  No surprise, really; I've wanted a motorbike since I was little.  I suggested it to my wife, who was adamant that I was not to go on a bike - far too unsafe!
After a few gently prods and watching Easy Rider (thankfully she fell asleep before the end), we decided that I could look - JUST LOOK - at what insurance etc would cost.
I'm from Canada, where motorcycling was reserved for the rich men who had too much money, or their  spoiled kids who wanted to show off.  It was a strictly four-months-a-year sport, the use of salt and grit made the roads too dangerous to use until the sweepers went past in mid May, and too cold to use after September.  So I was pleasantly surprised when I priced a bike and insurance!
As a starter, and having never ridden before, I did a fair bit of research.  Here in the UK, one must take Compulsory Basic Training (or CBT) before they are allowed on the road on a bike - and there are restrictions.  Max 125cc, no pillion passengers, no motorways.  Not a problem, I only wanted to use it for commuting, so no passengers required, and I'd only go 30mph!
So I narrowed down my search to either a Honda CG 125 or a Yamaha YBR 125.  I looked around on the internet, and figured I would have to spend about £1,000 on a decent bike - and another £500 on kit.
I looked at insurance, and I was amazed!  My car insurance is about £27 a month for a 2 litre diesel saloon, and for a CG I was quoted £9 a month!  I thought for sure bikes would be about £100 a month - I had an MX-5, and it was £80 a month.  And road tax on my diesel is £180 a year - on the bike it's £17....
So I excitedly told my wife, and she suggested I book in for the CBT training, just to see if I would like it.  'No point in spending all that money on a bike and kit if you don't like it,' - fair advice.  So I booked into LMRT for a Sunday's worth of riding.
I did my training, and man, what a blast!  It was so much fun.  We were on Honda CG's, and my instructor suggested that it is a better bike than the Yamaha.  I enjoyed riding it - it was no nonsense, easy to ride, lightweight, forgiving, and had electric start.
I was won over.

So the search began for the perfect bike for me.  I trawled through eBay, Gumtree, AutoTrader, all sorts of websites.  Most of the bikes I liked were either up north, or too expensive.  Then, there was one based in North London that looked just right.  It had electric start, a bit of shiny chrome, and it was black - it looked cool.
It was on eBay.  I watched it, but it ended without a single bid.  I thought I'd try and contact the seller to see if they were still interested in selling, and happily, he was.  My wife and I went to view it, and she fell in love with it before he completely got it out of the garage.  Yes, you read that right.  She fell in love with it.
The chap selling it was great - he showed me all the bits and pieces on the bike, and was willing to throw in some spare parts.  I couldn't resist - and neither could my wife.  I bought the bike for £650 - well below my budget!
The next day, we went out and bought some kit - a new jacket and gloves from 21st Moto in Swanley, and a helmet from Helmet City.  I recommend these places, as I found the staff at both locations to be very helpful and the opposite of condescending - they were eager to help me, as a new rider, get the most out of riding.
I went to bed, exhausted, my brain going full speed like a six year old on the day before Christmas.
The next morning, I got the train (and the tube - yuck) to pick it up.  The fellow offered to ride with me part of the way, as he knew I had literally no experience.  We also needed to get some learner plates, so I rode pillion on his massive ZX-R, looking for an open shop!  Man, he rode fast!
Anyway, the time came, and away we went.  He rode with me through to London Victoria - past Buckingham Palace, down Park Lane and Edgeware Road - very exciting and scary!  I didn't filter through traffic - a little too scary for me at that stage.
The bike performed flawlessly, and by the time we got to Sloane Square, I was confident enough to go on my own.  We shook hands, went our separate ways, and off he went.
I rode home on my own, unaccompanied.  It was a bit scary, but man, what a rush!
I got home, and promptly spent some time staring at it.  My wife told me she wants it when I'm done with it!

The bike is decidedly small - there isn't much road presence, and it is not the fastest ride out there by a long shot.  But, its mine.  My first ride.  They say its better to learn on a bit of beater, because when you inevitably drop it, you won't be so heartbroken.  I hope I don't drop this bike!  His name is Hank, after two awesome Hanks - Hank Williams Jr, and Hank Schrader from Breaking Bad.

Photo courtesy of Bluzog and  AMC Networks respectively

I decided I wouldn't start using the bike to commute until my train ticket expired, and after I had spent the evenings doing some ride-arounds, just to get a good feel for the bike, and to gain some confidence.
So, the following week, after I felt comfortable, I struck out on my own, commuting in style!
I made it about 3 miles before I ran out of petrol.  It would appear the gauge is not entirely accurate.
Harumph.
So, in full gear, carrying a helmet, I walked to the nearest railway station, emailed work, and headed off.
How embarrassing.
Anyway, that was the start of my motorcycling journey.  I hope to use this blog as a record of works I do to the bike, and to write down my experiences with riding.  I have been at it for a few weeks now - still very green! - and I enjoy it immensely.  Hopefully as I learn about riding, you  may find something of interest here.
Thanks for looking!