Steve Wilson's love-hate relationship with motorcycles is obvious, writes David Hall. The 57-year-old motorcycle enthusiast explains it in the first chapter of his latest book, called Down the Road (Haynes, 17.99).

And on the day that we spoke, things had not changed.

"I went out on my BSA twin A65 today and did something experienced motorcyclists never do I forgot my rainsuit. For some reason I went out without it and got completely soaked," he said. "My jeans were black absolutely soaked and water was slopping around in my boots."

Yes, the love-hate relationship continues. It was, ironically, the same motorcycle he was riding on the 3,000 mile round-trip to Portugal recorded in the book.

It was on that occasion when one of those happenings occur which Steve, from Fawler, near Uffington, insists are common to veteran bikers.

"I was stuck in Sweden and a Swedish journalist saved me. He was able to take me to a friend who managed to get my motorcycle working again and we became friends. Later on I was able to help a couple of twins who were in trouble when I came upon them. What goes round comes around."

The twins are not only also friends but drawing of them appears on the cover by courtesy of Nick Ward, the artist whose fabulous artwork appears throughout the book. It was one of many chance encounters which Steve's motorcycling activities have led him to the most important being his rendezvous with Molly, now his wife, during a journey through France.

If travelling is a fundamental part of the book, there is an interesting section on famous people who were also two-wheel enthusiasts. Steve is particularly satisfied with the section on Lawrence of Arabia. I felt I was able to write that quite thoroughly. I was lucky in that my aunts were keen on Lawrence and had a fair old library of stuff on him."

The most remarkable, however, is Conan Doyle. "He was a very complex guy and the one who surprised me the most. I was always keen on his work my grandfather read me the Sherlock Holmes stories and to find he was an enthusiast as well was a piece of serendipity."

There is something of a progression a strand in that motorcycles have been first of all for individuals and then for rebels. The rebellious bit has become a bit cliched but at the heart of it there is a truth and i wanted to see how it had evolved through past times."

His tastes in motorcycles have taken a retrograde step over the years. The fuel-injection Moto Guzzi 1100cc which was his workhorse some years ago has been replaced as his tastes have gone bachwards. "I prefer bikes from the fifties now. I get all the chances to ride the newer models for the magazines so any appetite in that direction is sated."

His love for the past took a fresh turn when he was asked by Haynes to write the first in a new great bikes series and settled on the Triumph Bonneyville.

He had almost completed the book (due to be launched in November) when it became evident that Triumph Hinckley were going to release a Bonneyville of their own, reviving the name for a completely new motorcycle a twin like the original.

"I was able to get pictures and details of the bike two weeks ago just in time to get it into the book."

Steve prefers the old motorbikes for his tours. "People can see how easy it is to get around. When I had the Moto Guzzi and did a journey down through France and it was not as satisfying as doing it on the old bikes. I pinpointed a number of reasons.

"The first was that it was much less likely to go wrong and it is the uncertain challenge of what is going to happen which maked journeying on an old machine more satisfying.

" You need to be prepared a few spare cables and so on but it is much more enjoyable." He is now working on a book which requires no travelling. "I am hoping to do a book about my daughter and one of my motorbikes. It is called When Rosie met Anneka. In the story she finds the bike in a barn it has been abandoned for a while and has a helmet on the seat. She puts it on and the bike talks to her.

"It is a story for eight to 12 year olds. Very much set in the Vale of White Horse. I hope there will be a series."

Rosie is six and the motorcycle was called Anneka because when it was being restored it was "a bit of a challenge like the television series with Anneka Rice".

Steve has great hopes for his children's story trusting that one day it will be a series of books. But at 57 he denied that he was looking at a new market to enable him to give up life in the saddle.

"I am old enough to know better," he chuckled with all the assurance of someone who would probably take less notice of his aging body than of his aging BSA A65.