The New Year kicked off with a number of VJMC Bangor Section members bringing bikes to the annual Classic Motorcycle Show in the Queen’s Hall, Newtownards on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th January.

I especially enjoyed seeing the 1986 Yamaha SRX 600 being shown by Garth. He told me about how these machines are hard to come by now due to so many having had their engines removed for Supermoto racing.

Garth showed me a photo of his nephew, Heath, racing at the IOM on just such a machine. He had been recorded at 140 mph through the speed trap using a SRX engine in a Harris frame.

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Thirty of us gathered for the annual VJMC Bangor Section Christmas Dinner in early December, an occasion which might have been considered good practice for anyone planning to take part in a future “I’m a Celebrity Bushtucker Trial”.

The Northern Counties Classic Motorcycle Show returned to Ballymena Leisure Centre in Northern Ireland on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th October.

VJMC Bangor Section was asked if they would like to put on a stand and I was delighted when members voluntered to bring along 8 machines, even if one of them wasn't actually Japanese. Drew brought a 1941 BSA which had seen service in the Second World War. Surprisingly Geoff wasn't suggesting that Drew paint this bike in Honda 400/4 Red.

The annual Regent Street Methodist Church Motorcycle Show took place on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th August 2011 in Newtownards, approximately nine miles from Belfast in Northern Ireland.

The annual Belfast Custom Bike Show returned to Custom House Square in Belfast on Saturday 23rd July. A couple of VJMC Bangor Section members brought a bike to the show as the organisers always extend a hearty welcome to classic enthusiasts as well as those interested in the custom scene.

The Temple and District Vintage & Classic Club held "An Evening of Nostalgia" on Thursday 30th June. Well in excess of 100 vintage and classic motorcycles assembled in Andrews Yard on the outskirts of Saintfield in Northern Ireland for a static display followed by 2 parade laps of the famous Temple 100 Road Race course.

The National Trust held their annual Vehicles of Yesteryear event on Father's Day 2011 as part of a weekend long programme of events within the grounds of the Mount Stewart estate.

The Bangor Car & Motorcycle Show 2011 took place in the Bangor Elim Complex on Saturday 28th May. An impressive line-up of entertainment included displays by the UKFMX Freestyle Motocross Team, the Trialstar Motorcycle Display Team, a Scrabo Heli Club Flying Display, a Fashion Show and a special guest appearance by racing legend Leslie McMaster.

The Bangor Section of the VJMC was delighted to support the Northern Ireland Fire Service’s effort to raise money for Help for Heroes. The fundraiser was held at Comber Fire Station on Sunday 10th April 2011 with entertainment provided for all the family on the warmest day of the year to date.

Preparations by the VJMC Northern Ireland Bangor Section were nearing completion for the Adelaide Motorcycle Festival in the King's Hall, Belfast over Valentine's weekend.

The VJMC Northern Ireland Bangor Section was pleased to support this year’s annual Comber Classic Motorcycle Show, an event traditionally supported by members as individuals. It took place in Comber First Presbyterian Church with proceeds in aid of the Injured Riders’ and the Church Building funds.

The X Factor may have Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson but the Northern Ireland VJMC Bangor Section has their very own Billy Dazzler.

The 30 Motorcycle Club of Ulster, in conjunction with Lisburn Borough Council, organised a static display and ride around the UGP Course in support of UGP Bike Week.

An invitation to join in was extended to the Vintage Motorcycle Club (VMCC) and the Northern Ireland Bangor Section of the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club (VJMC).

The biennial Ballygowan Fun Festival was held in Ballygowan town centre on Monday evening, 14th June 2010.

The occasion was brought to our attention by town resident Billy and we all agreed the Northern Ireland VJMC Bangor Section would like to support the local community event.

As a recent blow-in, I am amazed at the way the Bangor VJMC lads have kept such an amazing secret for so long. I refer to the annual Bangor Car and Motorcycle Show in Northern Ireland which, this year, took place on Saturday 22nd May in the Bangor Elim Complex.

A number of the Northern Ireland Bangor Section VJMC lads and a couple of friends congregated in Ballygowan Square for a ride out on Sunday 18th April.

First stop was the Fallen Heroes MCC Bike Safely Awareness Open Day which featured a Bikesafe event and race bike display at Comber Fire Station. All proceeds from food sales went to a fund for the families of two firemen who recently lost their lives in England.

The Northern Ireland Motorcycle Festival was held in the King’s Hall in Belfast over Valentine’s Weekend. The show was organised by Billy Nutt MBE and sponsored by Nutt Travel and Adelaide Insurance.

The event was launched by Shane Lynch (Boyzone) and Connor Cummins. Shane had started the day by being driven around the Ulster Grand Prix circuit by lap record holder Connor. Other celebrities appeared regularly over the course of the weekend.

Shortly after Brian, Billy and I decided to join the VJMC Northern Ireland Bangor Section, Billy broke his leg. It didn’t happen on a bike. His dog ran into him while they were walking on a beach.

Our first meeting saw us turn up with Billy on crutches. We were made feel very welcome and enjoyed the evening. On leaving Billy came staggering across the room out of control - like a bike that had first lost the front end and then the rear. We were all greatly amused to find out that Eddie had adjusted the length of his crutches.

Brian recently had a chance meeting with Billy, an old school friend he hadn’t seen for a few decades.

While reminiscing about the good old days when they went scratching together on their RD 400s, Billy remarked on how it would be fantastic to ride one again. When Brian casually informed him that he had two, an RD 400 and an RD 250, he couldn’t believe it and was ecstatic when offered a run on the 250.