Previous bikes:
1970 Yamaha R5 - Went like a shower of shit when it was running okay, but the right-hand cylinder used to cut out and back in again at the most inappropriate times, this happened twice when I was half way around a ninety degree bend in the road. You couldn't imagine the acceleration that kicked in when this happened, luckily I lived to tell the tale. Had it in the mechanics but they couldn't fix the problem. When I advertised it a bloke up the Sunshine Coast who used to race them at the time jumped on it and I got a pretty good price for it.
1979 Honda CX500 - Bought this new, it was a terrific bike, absolutely loved it until a truck turned in front of me and ruined my riding for a few years. Messed up my left knee and eventually 2 years later had my kneecap removed. Took a while to get the bend back so I could sit on a bike properly.
1982 Suzuki DR250S - Great little bike and heaps of fun to ride.
Kawasaki Z750FX like this but red https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBD4ZySaAfs
Also went like a shower of shit, but I loved this bike! Four into one open exhaust :icon_drool2: . Every morning my wife would say 'Drive safely and don't speed', to which I'd say 'I'm riding not driving!' to divert my acknowledgment of her intended message. Then I'd putter out of the estate as not to annoy the residents too much and keep her happy until I reached the main road between Redland Bay and Cleveland a kilometre away, then it was on! You never heard such a beautiful howl and scream throbbing under your testicles and out the rear of the exhaust. I'd return home from work the same way only to be greeted by my lovely wife scowling at me 'I could here you from here inside the house this morning when you got on the main road!' Ahhhh those were the days.
Then I had to be responsible for a few years.
In 2008 I had intended to buy a big secondhand bike for commuting to a job in Boddington WA about a 100klm from home. But while at the dealers my wife pushed me towards the Kawasaki GPX250's new old stock they had on special at the time. I decided it was a sensible choice as their a great fun little bike and reliable as hell, but the main motivation was I think I knew I'd just get caught speeding too much on a bigger machine and loose my licence.
Last November (2014) my elder brother and his wife who were due to visit for a holiday over Christmas phoned to say he'd got terminal cancer. His pancreas was almost gone and his liver was in a bad way. He decided to come over and stay at my sisters so his kids didn't see him deteriorate, so I chucked my job in so we could all spend the rest of the time with him. He'd had a major health checkup 6 weeks prior to phoning me and given the all clear. Ambulance officers rushed onto the plane when it arrived at Perth airport and rushed him straight to hospital where they found his lungs were also showing spots. Luckily there were a couple of nurses on the flight who kept him breathing and the cabin crew were great! He passed away on the 16th of January. After he'd gone I sent my wife to Brisbane to visit her brother in law who then also passed away shortly after she arrived, again from cancer, and she also saw her other sister who's been bravely fighting her own battle with cancer for over four years now.
Anyway while my wife was away I thought I take the bike for a spin as I hadn't used it for a while, but I then discovered one of the carbies was gummed up and as it was due for a service so I booked it in at the bike shop. Just before leaving home to take the bike in I phoned my wife in Brisbane and told her what I was up too. The last thing she said was 'Don't buy another bike!' Now in my defence if she'd said
'DON'T BUY ANOTHER BIKE!!!!!!!!' I might have understood a little better and taken it on-board. However at the shop the mechanics apprentice didn't show so I had too sit around for 4 hours waiting for my bike.
I did the usual walk around routine drooling over all the bikes until my eyes fell on the one that stole my heart. I sat on it, pretended I was riding it, quickly got off it, sat down and tried to forget about it. I did this at least four times before my bike was ready. I paid for the service and just as I was walking through the showroom to leave, I saw the owner and said 'Kim, how much trade would I get on my bike for the Triumph America out front?'' Take the Triumph for a ride while I check yours out', he says with a knowing grin of a sale already done.
Well that was it! My testicles came too life again as I roared off down the road, I reckon' I lost 40 years in 30 minutes, all the shit of the last few years dropped away and I realised that I still had things to do for myself before it was my time to cross over to the other side. I didn't tell my wife until she got home but I did tell her I thought I had. She's always been a good wife and could see why I did it, and I did buy her a brand new car to put the matter completely to rest.
So this is the bike that I'll ride till my times up, and if you've never ridden a bike do yourself a favour and try it, it's the greatest feeling in the world riding down an open road with the wind in your face.
