And so he should - given he's owned 37 of them.
As of late, he knows what is good for him, too, and his last machine, a Triumph 675 Street Triple, was not doing him any favours.
Churning out 128hp, it was "very, very fast".
"Too powerful for me," he admitted with a grin, explaining that his latest "toy" was much more in his league.
The two-tone 2009 Triumph Thunderbird arrived a fortnight ago and was the first of its model in the country, Mr Vallance (50) said.
Fifty Thunderbirds are go for New Zealand this year and another 50 will be imported from their southwest Leicestershire, England, factory in 2010.
He ordered it 12 months ago, went on the waiting list and eagerly anticipated the arrival of the 1600cc twin-cylinder cruiser he feels matches his stage in life.
"Triumphs are good because they don't do anything silly. They are more for us over 40-year-old riders."
That is not to say the Thunderbird is a slouch - "it's the biggest parallel-twin in the world", Mr Vallance said of the motorcycle's power plant.
It is many steps up from the 1959 Triumph Terrier he learned to ride on aged 12 and a fair bit gruntier than the 175cc Honda he upgraded to, two years later.
His father, Owen Vallance, who used to ride with Burt Munro, forbade him to use it until he was 15.
"Dad used to sneak it out of the garage and ride it. He loved it so much."
Mr Vallance belongs to the Wanaka Motorcycle Club, which began in 2003 and now has 53 members.
2009 Triumph Thunderbird specs:
- Engine: 1600cc, liquid cooled, parallel-twin.
- Transmission: Six-speed, toothed belt drive.
- Maximum power: 63.2kW@4850rpm.
- Maximum torque: 146Nm@2750rpm.
