Number Two Son rang this morning. Apparently he spent the weekend looking at bikes.

Regular readers may recall that he was nerfed off his Honda CB500 by a moron on a roundabout – mercifully in front of a policeman, so all the insurance was VERY easily sorted out and, thankfully No2 Son emerged with nothing worse than bad bruises. The bike was a bit battered but it was sorted out by the dealer and he has it back now.

Still, it’s made him think and I think it spooked him a bit. More than anything else, knowing the bike’s history he’s struggling to trust it.

So he was looking at other machines. Older Kawasaki Versys 1000s. Old Honda Varadero 1000s. A 2004 Aprilia CapoNord. An ST1100 Pan like the one I used to have. He didn’t feel any of them was quite right. What did I think he should get?

Now that’s a poser. He’s had a licence for less than a year and I wonder if it’s wise to jump on something so much bigger, heavier and more powerful so soon. On the other hand, he is doing an increasing amount of two-up riding with his girlfriend La Crashbung on the back – so bigger and more powerful would definitely help.

I ended up not really saying anything helpful – I told him I’d have a think and come back with a suggestion for what to look for. I’m not sure what advice I could give anyone in his position, but when it’s your own offspring, you suddenly realise how important it is not to say something stupid (“Hey, have you thought about a Hayabusa?”). It’s a tough one. What would you suggest?