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Theft, cameras and traffic lights killed a lot of the joy of motorbikes in London for sure. The 90s and the early 00s were SO much fun. Throw in how difficult and expensive the test is, ULEZ and it's a wonder anyone bothers to learn. A desperate shame considering the UK's motorcycling heritage and that they're a genuine solution to congestion.
That said, riding around the city here is boring as hell - surface streets are mostly dead straight and pockmarked worse than Baghdad. Drivers are so much more inattentive / distracted and accidents more frequent. It is extremely convenient though with the traffic and you can ride year round in comfort apart from a few days of rain. License is absurdly easy and insurance cheap.
Some great riding outside of town albeit inland sizzles in the summer. Desert season is more or less over now until October.
It is good though, no doubt. If I wasn't so paranoid about getting nicked for something I'd probably have more fun on the road!
Jung-
I've only ridden in LA one day in my life so not much experience of it! Thing I remember is it took hours to get out of the city even on giant roads. We were there in April which was a great time for the weather. I really liked the west coast and the parks, just haven't had the chance to get back there.
Anyone starting in London today wouldn't have a clue how we all got away with the speeds we were doing. I would be embarrassed to be caught doing it these days.
Airhead
You are living the dream. It's the worst time I've known in London for bikers. Partly to do with the rise in cycling for good reasons, cyclists need encouraging and protecting. It's left motorcyclists with very little space to play with though. Once you add the theft it's borderline worth it these days. Eventually I think the cost of insurance will stop a lot of younger riders from taking it up.
It's not just about coming back to find your bike gone, it's getting held up with a knife for the keys and maybe getting into a fight over it. I'm looking at the fun you're having in the desert and wondering what I'm doing living in c. London.