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Six and the City 122

Monday
Got a phone call from John Newman.
"You're showing your age a bit in your last column, aren’t you?"
Cheeky f**ker
"Bill Ivy? Mike Hailwood? Bit before your time aren’t they?"
I guess it did come across a bit Uncle Albert, but as a motor racing fan it’s about appreciating the history behind it too.
Keith Codes’ ‘Twist of the Wrist’ states that many of today’s outdated biking beliefs stem from the early days of racing when technology was in its infancy.
Cornering being one of them.
Back in the days of yore, tyres were hard black things not much bigger than a pushbike tyre, and suspension was not as accommodating; the quickest way through a corner was the straightest possible line, keeping the bike upright. Nowadays the laws of physics haven’t changed, but tyres and suspension have.
So with that in mind, I now have much more confidence with my cornering and new suspension set up, and hardly any chicken strips!
Still no knee-down action though.
So Mr. Newman, what would old Mooneyes say to that?

Wednesday
Back to this century and I would like to point out to the security officers at work that this is the year 2007, not 1907. After all these months, I still get "How does a little thing like you manage a bike like that?" Guess what? It only goes as fast as you twist the throttle, and in my case that ain’t very fast.
The amount of men who look at my bike all misty eyed then say, "I’d kill myself on something like that" amazes me.
How? It’s usually the twat in a car who didn’t look, that kills you.
Although to be fair, a former colleague managed to cock it up by himself by letting his heart rule his head. After badgering me for days as to whether he should chop in his old CB500 for a nearly mint Hornet or a nearly mint Daytona, decided he was man enough to manage a Daytona and promptly wrote it off within 2 weeks.
"Lost the front end under hard braking."
Not something that I know a lot about.
I say former colleague – he’s ok, it’s just after a stunt like that I refuse to work with him.

Friday
Tucking my baby in for the night, a random stranger approaches me.
(It’s in a row of garages behind my flat)
"Hello, I didn’t realise these were garages"
Really – the big white garage-door shaped doors didn’t give it away?
"How did you get this?"
Not that it’s any of your business but I rent it along with my flat.
"Oh" – crestfallen
"You don’t really need a garage, just for a motorbike, do you? Couldn’t you park on the street?"
WTF? Listen mate, this is not ‘just a motorbike’. This is my true love; my life’s passion. This is my surrogate child; my pride, my joy. This is what defines me; makes me the person I am. This is what never fails to put a smile on my face or gets me out of a depression. Scratch my bike, I feel its pain (and so does my bank balance). This is my reason for wearing skin-tight black leather! Bring me your first-born child and sacrifice it on the altar that is my driveway, because that’s what you’ve just asked me to do…
Is what I wanted to say.
"Piss off"

two wheel passion

www.theridersdigest.co.uk

Six_in_the_City 9/2007

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