From humble
beginnings
Small and cheap will do the job if you want to get on the road, but the skills
are the real battle, according to the Guido clan…
The gals junior
had finally gotten around to earning their learner ticket and we had to find
them a bike. Now I’ll admit my usual approach is somewhat bull-at-a-gate
when it comes to organizing two-wheeled transport. You can’t have too much
of it, and excessive horsepower is probably getting close to about right. Well,
it’s a theory…
However that wasn’t going to work in this case. Partly because the gals
wanted to take this whole motorcycle thing at their own pace, thanks very much,
and partly because I couldn’t see the sense in spending a million bucks
until everyone was sure this was what they really wanted to do.
In Vic, sadly, learners are still restricted to 250cc bikes, many of them over-priced.
Given the ladies junior already had access to cars, it made sense to go through
the motorcycle fleet to see what was already serviceable until they made up
their minds about whether they really wanted to commit to this two-wheeled bizzo.
Step forward one early eighties Suzuki TS185ER -- 20-ish horses of throbbing
two-stroke – already hiding under a cover behind the shed. We bought this
thing a few years ago as a trailie and really haven’t added much to the
11,000km on the clock. It was near enough to new in miles, but needed servicing,
work on the electrics, a new seat cover and tyres.
I could have done much of the work myself – in theory – but it made
far more sense to leave in the capable hands of Stafford Motorcycles, the local
bike emporium. It was a good decision for a few reasons: 1. My reading, writing,
riding, drinking and sleeping time was not greatly interfered with; 2. It became
someone else’s problem; 3. They’re actually good at it.
This is one of those occasions when developing a relationship with the local
motorcycle purveyor makes sense. They had already fitted M&A with safety
gear (never mind the cost, think of the absence of medical bills…) and
seemed a bit chuffed they were given the responsibility of setting up the gals’
mount. Ringmasters Don and Ray combined their considerable knowledge to come
up with something that has turned out to be perfectly reliable – probably
the main criteria for this exercise. It only took a few days, where it would
have cost me weeks.
A little aside here: Their tame seat refinisher is a classic Jap bike nut and
was reportedly tickled pink to see a well-kept ER being revived. So he took
special care to keep the original rear seat panel, with its Suzuki markings,
and combine it with a new top surface in keeping with the period. An act beyond
the call of duty.
Okay, so the riding gear and servicing cost more than the bike (which was a
mere $900). That’s what happens when you play rough games. As recompense,
I know the little perishers, when one finally decides to ride out of the coop
on a proper solo adventure, will be well-kitted and on a motorcycle that won’t
let them down.
What hasn’t been discussed at home yet is that, while the little Suzi is
admirably light and easy to handle, its combo of kick-start and older engine
makes it more challenging to ride than many of its contemporaries. (For example,
starting requires a little technique and it needs a long warm-up.) That makes
the learning task more difficult, but I’m hoping it will be paid off later
in their riding career when they discover they have developed some good engine
and clutch skills as a result.
And I have to say watching two learners at work is both a joy and frustration.
The joy part comes from seeing them determined not to be rushed but feeling
a real sense of achievement when they walk away with small victories –
like getting that hill-start right. Frustration chimes in when you see someone
battling a to develop a skill you’d forgotten you had (like hill-starts).
It gets worse when you see one daughter has great cornering talent and the other
clutch control, but can’t combine the two. I suspect I had neither when
starting out, and so am in no position to criticise their humble beginnings…
Guy "Guido"
Allen
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