Allow myself to introduce...myself.

I am going to start this and see where it goes.
I am Brad from Nova Scotia Canada but currently living in British Columbia. Single (for now) no kids except my dogs. I am a proffesional bush pilot flying seaplanes and ski planes on the coast and in the Canadian Arctic. I work too much and don't have much of a life outside of flying but we're working to change that. Childhood memories of riding in front of my dad on dual sports holding onto the bars (1977 XL175). First bike was a Kawi Gpz750 (still have it, currently mid way in a complete ground up street fighter build) that never ran properly, followed by a few others which did more sitting than anything (work). Bought my ZX9R brand new in 2002 rode the hell out of it for a few years, then parked it (work) and recently did a 5000 km trip on it down the coast (AWESOME) and now I have the bug again. I have a 2006 FS650C that I have started 2 times and never ridden, and I spent the entire summer at work(3.5 months) but did a lot of riding on my first dirtbike there. Now firmly addicted to the dirt and supermoto bikes. I also bought my GF a KTM 690 SM (for putting up with me) and it's always a battle for the keys...until I can find a way to get my Berg to where I live.
Next bike....almost certainly going to be the mate to my SM for better or worse a 06 FE650E. I also would like to buy a 1977 XL175 and would love to get my hands on a late 1960's BSA project bike/cafe racer. Never crashed (once as a passenger) on a bike or in a plane...currently working on government stuff and I have WAY to much time on my hands hence lurking on the internet procrastinating my paperwork all day. Cheers!

Hey Brad from NS. Sounds like you're living a very exciting life.

No it's an exciting job and no life. I started this thread simply because it's an international communtiy and I was very curious to see what all the folks from around the world who love Husabergs are doing when they are not riding Husabergs or talking about it. Anyways I can delete it and go back to bieng just some digital name in cyberspace.

Why not?

Steve from Oz. I've got a background in surveying, civil engineering and computer programming and look after the condition monitoring and asset management of major civil structures like dams for the last 30 years.

Got a CB500/4 as transport and moved to Sydney to uni in 1972 from here in the mountains. Had a few mates into dirt bikes but I was keen on road riding and did some road racing in the 1970s where I broke an elbow which got infected and caused me much grief. Still doesn't move much and will stop my forearm working at times.

Studied in 1970s into the 1980s when I got married to my girlfriend who had a DT175 and brought me/us a GPZ1100B2 as an engagement present/bribe. Study went into hibernation in the mid 1980s when I spent 5 years of my life doing little else but building my house in the bush. Had a couple of kids along the way, the oldest of which had her 21st last Friday.

When I had some time in the 1990s I started trail riding the wife's DT175 around the hills near home with some of my neighbours. Hills were a problem, so found an IT250K which was an improvement, but still ultimately inadequate on the hills. An IT490K followed, but now the brakes and suspension were becoming a problem. At least I could get up the hills. In 1998 a rush of blood resulted in a demonstrator FE501, power, suspension and brakes.

Now I had a race bike, so for my 44th birthday I joined the local dirt bike club and entered my first dirt bike race, an enduro. Did some state rounds, including one memorable 2 day enduro in Tarago just prior to the Taralgon ISDE. How many sports can a rank amateur enter the same event as the world's best who were using the 2 day as a warm up for the ISDE? Watts, Ahola, Merriman, etc plus top locals.

Got into it, and ended up open 4 stroke club champion in 1999. Never won a race but got enough podiums and finishes to get the point score. Beat the kids as a beginner at 45!

Progressed with the dirt bikes and ended up club president, Clerk of Course and Steward and also a MA dirt bike coach, but this meant less competitive riding.

Got the 650 last year and still need to get a few races on it before I retire from racing, but am injured at the moment recovering from a knee reconstruction, hence some time on my hands to write this life story.

Also in the 1990s I got involved with a company called Stay Upright http://www.stayupright.com.au/ who still employ me part time as an instructor. I occasionally teach learners and do licence testing but prefer to do track courses and teach their dirt courses.

As a result, among other places, I've done about 25,000 km around Philip Island, the best bit of bitumen I've found. Had a ZX10, and now a ZX9R which I use on these activities.

I love nothing more than when a few mates come out to my place on a Sunday afternoon and we hit the local hills for a few hours followed by a few beers. I've got 10km of single track in the yard, and 100s of kms of trails and single track just outside the gate and the bitumen of the Snowy Mountains for the road bike if I feel that way inclined.

I'm also a deputy captain with my local volunteer bush fire brigade where I teach fire fighting, chain saw use and fire/bush driving. I even have my own 4wd tanker in my shed, a Cat 7 4wd Mitsubishi Canter.

Also fit in time with my wife who supports me with my activities, she's a Pharmacist with a ready supply of pain killers and arthritis remedies, got her own KLX250/300, loves being a pillion on the ZX9R and is also a volunteer fire fighter.

Both kids are at uni, just finished 2nd year. No2 is off the Seattle in January for 6 months exchange at Washington State so might have to visit the NW corner next year.

Who's next?
Cheers
Steve

And, I can vouch for Steve being a bloody nice bloke too.

I'm Aaron, from South Australia, Havent been on bikes for long, I had a KX125 for a few years after 2002, which regrettably left my posession in much better condition than it started, it was a fun bike. I got my Fe 550e in 2006, which was a big step up, but it was a sweet change, she has been a good bike, even though she's seen a fair portion of that time on her side in the dirt (if I had known steve was employed by 'Stay Upright', I would have tried for some free advice).
I went to the (australian) force ride in Wallerawang NSW earlier this year, and found out what trailriders mean by a 'goat track', a 'hill' and 'a bit difficult', since then I havent found anything so testing as that terrain.
I'm married with a girl nearing 6yrs and a boy nearing 1 year, they enjoy bikes too.
I used to work on a tropical resort island in QLD driving boats, teaching people how to sail and windsurf, before moving back to South Oz to build fibreglass cruising yachts, after that I moved into the tourism industry, doing off road 4WD nature tours around my home, 3rd largest island in Australia, Kangaroo Island. Nowadays I work for the local Council as the senior town planer, which is not too bad, excepting the stigma attached to town planners, and council workers (laughing).
I like fishing(especially land based game for sharks) and diving, used to play golf, and have just gone back to playing A grade cricket after about 8 years not playing, which actually hurts more than a hard trailride does. but it keeps me out of the bush in summer when the fire risk is really high.
thats about enough jibber jabba from me, as steve said....

who next??

Awesome! I was once offered a job flying in a place called "Hamilton Island???" I didn't accept it and regret it to this day, but the thought of flying a piston aircraft over shark infested reefs with out having any idea of quality in the maintenance department...one of those decisions I guess I will always regret but at the time Austrailia was a very long ways away...By the way I recently took up "Surf Casting" but I am not very good at it. 3.5 foot dog shark is all I have caught besides rocks. Hows that reel work from australia I think it's called an Alvi? We have a lot of Austrailians and New Zealanders flying helicopters in the Arctic of all places to find them. Thanks!

Jerry, 34 year old Swede (IT consultant, living since 13 years with my missus, and from 2003 in our own house) - fairly new on bikes - alot of years with an Impreza turbo that I had as a project.
I'm a firm believer in DIY (and keeping things simple) - but that car spiraled out of control and ended up more of something undriveable for normal roads, and into a trackday toy (bitoethanol conversion, 400 hp/400 lbft, straight cut dogbox, plated diffs, autronic, antilag etc, etc, etc).

Got fed up with working on other peoples Imprezas to finance my own "black hole" of a car, and it was more or less put away in the garage.

Got suckered into enduro 15 months ago, sold the Impreza and got my unlimited bike license this May - and I curse myself for have waited this long as I've always been slightly envious of the bikers come springtime.

Started off with a pristine KDX220R -02, great learner bike for enduro, was curious about the 4st, went to a KTM 450EXC -03...
That bike had gone through a few not so carful owners, and I got fed up with helicoil repairs, and bit the bullet on a brand new KTM 300 EXC -08.
Around this time I sold the Impreza, and got myself a Honda VFR800 -99, another great bike to get going on, did 4000 miles on that bike sorting the license, and had a great summer, had a brief moment of hybris and went for the Mille in the end of the summer, and I love that bike.

The 300 is a nice bike, but demands alot from the rider, and is not good for very technical trails compared to the 4st bikes, as it's difficult to manage the lack of grip you usually have to deal with...even though it had alot of bottom end for a 2st, it still wanted to kill me when the power came on.

The berg is just so much more linear, smooth and inspires confidence - perfect for someone who is picking this sport up.

/J

Hey maDDtraPPer,

F*#ck, give us your name, that's crap to type every post, ive attached a pic of the seaplanes that they used to fly into Hayman Island, where I used to work, it s about 6 nautical miles from Hamilton which u talk about.

I think they were (edit - DeHaviland) beavers? dont know, cos its been a while since i saw a beaver, its not my fault though, its my missus (lmao).

they also used to fly those seaplanes that look like a cessna with a hull for an underbelly and a pod mounted engine above the canopy and wings, i have no idea what they were.

the beavers(?) were pretty reliable, the only problem we had there was a boat (me old mate Drakey) nearly running into one in the marina fairway.

Azza.

Azza, check his first post on this thread , it's Brad. No worries mate ! By the way good stories guys always nice to hear how others got infected.
Later
Ron

Thats actually a very nice looking DHC-2 Beaver. Very nice airplanes...slow like the dump trucks of the sky and they keep the communities up where I live connected. Ya more and more I regret not going there. As far as I can remember like everything else in Australia the name was something I couldnt pronounce. Air Whitsunday or something. It was back in 2000, and the ticket to get there was $3500. Young and dumb it would have been a very nice place to work I am sure. Probably flying beautiful bikini clad tourists around all day in shorts and sandals. I chose rolling 45 gallon fuel drums and thousands of pounds of pop instead...and the second plane sounds like a Lake Buchaneer and I wouldnt fly one of those things if they paid me a million dollars a day. But then again I am getting pretty fussy in my old age. Cheers - Brad

Q/. It was back in 2000, and the ticket to get there was $3500. Young and dumb it would have been a very nice place to work I am sure. Probably flying beautiful bikini clad tourists around all day in shorts and sandals. - youve got it, there was some excellent scenery, i can tell you! my ticket from Adelaide to Hamilton was 800 bucks (that was in 1998), but thats just air travel in general, nowadays it costs us up to $220 just to get off Kangaroo Island!

And I reckon youre right, a about the second plane, bucchaneer rings a bell.

Azza.