Some were my fault……
Others happened to others (who shall remain nameless)
My second ever bike was a Sunbeam S7
-all black with balloon tyres
like a Harley-WOW!
library picture
I was working my college holidays as a dustman
(real bins,collected from real back gardens!)
I spotted the Sunbeam under a cover
in a council house backyard
I returned that evening
and bought it for £20.
I never thought to check the 20 year old tyres,
the 20 year old petrol
or the 20 year old oil!
All elements were present
and the bike ran
-job done.
On the way home I nursed it
until I hit a straight bit of road;
I wound on the gas,
50 mph,60mph….
BANG!!
The rear piston and conrod
burst through the engine casing
an inch from my left knee!
I instinctively pulled in the clutch
and coasted to a halt.
Sold a month later for £20 for spares.
Lesson learned!
Petrol,oil,tyres
these are the first things I change
when I get a new bike.
Speaking of changing tyres…
a good friend
was marshalling the Welsh 2 day
Aware that his front tyre had a slow puncture
he was returning to base to fix it,
when he got collared by a mate
to take something to the next check
for his son to collect.
On the way,
travelling on a fireroad
at about 40 mph,
the wheel and tyre parted company……..
A week in Hereford hospitals intensive care
with a punctured lung and fractures
meant that he missed his sons wedding
on the Saturday after the event.
His wife was not best pleased!
Another tyre incident
happened to me at Cadwell
I had borrowed my pal Roger,s Honda XBR500 racer
for one of the early sessions
at a trackday there.
Usual story-last minute panic
bike straight off the trailer
“Blue group to the start,
Blue group to the start”
Helmet on,”wheres, me gloves”
“Any juice in the Honda?”
Should be……..”
Set off following the marshall
-all in crocodile formation,
no overtaking for a couple of laps…..
Marshall pulls in -all hell breaks loose!
red mist(this isnt supposed to be a race-HA HA!)
I bludgeon my way through the pack.
Left right and into the mountain section.
The back wheel breaks traction,
I get ready for the inevitable high side,
I look up into the small stand at the side of the mountain
where the riders friends/families are sat,
To a man they are on their feet
hands over mouths-OH MY GOD-Hes off!” style
By a pure fluke I regain control of the bike
and conduct the remaining laps of the session
rather sedately.
Back in the paddock
the reason for the “moment”
is discovered
5lbs of air in the rear tyre
Since then I NEVER
go onto a track without checking the tyres in advance.
Nearly a very hard lesson?
A racing pal
seized his Honda single at 3 Sisters
-a yellow duster,
he had used to wipe his wet seat
and then tucked under the seat
and forgotten about
got sucked down the bellmouth of the carb
INSTANT HALT!
(I did something similar at Cadwell.
Trying unsuccessfully
to bumpstart
the normally 1st push Honda K4
my wife Ann asked
whether there should be a rag
sticking out of the carb bellmouth!
I had put it there
to stop rain ingress
on the journey to the circuit
on its trailer,and forgotten to take it out.
(It must have polished the crank,
judging by the length of cloth
pulled back out!)
Perhaps the moral is
to fit a bellmouth with a mesh end!
Anyone forgotten to fit the little fishie
on his chain split link
or had him swimming wrongly “downstream”
I know a man who did…..
his chain came off,and so did he!
Wasnt his bike either.
Another favourite(on older bikes)
is to ride off
with the sidestand still extended
I did on my Ducati 900 supersport.
1st bend,
tipped her in
went straight on!!
Fortunately no cars coming the other way!
Unfortunately 80 euros for a new stand.
An incident 20 years ago
has ensured that I NEVER ,EVER
take a bike for a ride
without suitable footwear and a helmet.
(I often prefer to watch the owner put it through its paces
than ride an unfamiliar machine myself)
I was selling an aircooled KDX 200
and a nice guy came,complete with trailer
to collect it.
I fired her up
-”yes ,fine,I,ll have it.”
“can I take her up the road”
“of course- have you got your lid and boots,if not I,ll lend you mine”
No need to bother,
in fact he didnt want me
to get it to the road for him,
past several large piles of
building materials on the drive.
A small man,
a tall unfamiliar peaky machine
-there could only be one outcome!
He revved the nuts off it,
dumped the clutch,
stood it on its back wheel
and then threw it away!
No damage to the bike….
he was writhing on the ground.
Looking at my mate
and supressing a laugh
we picked him up
and helped him
to a nearby wall to sit on.
By this time he was shaking
and sweating profusely.
I helped him roll up his trouser leg
His shin was split to the bone
from knee to ankle.
Round to the village doctors surgery…
she took one look
and called the ambulance
-blue lights and all!
The metal cleated footpeg was the culprit
Lack of suitable footwear
compounded the injury
Whilst he lay on the doctors couch
I had to ask the obvious…….
“I suppose this means
you wont be having the Bike now ,
does it???”
WHAT do you mean-ME-insensitive???:P
Posted by Peter 
Posted by Peter 