Gday Folks.
Rusty.
Been a while since I posted anything in Community.
Wrote this today for an Aussie MotorCycle forum I frequent.
Thought I might give it a fly here.
The 'one gear' box.
So I came out of that corner.
A sharp left hander.
Let the BM tractor away.
Kicked it up from 2nd into neutral.
Neutral?
My BM has a lovely 'free revvin hole' between 2nd and 3rd.
Then kicked it again for third. Then freefall.
My left foot is flaying around but can't find a pedal.
WTH? Is going on here?
Can't have broken the pedal?
This is a BM. That's a sturdy lever.
Surely not!
So pull up.
Look down. Pedals there.
Just pointing down, hanging on the tang on the sidestand.
What? TH? [again]
Ah. I see. I said. When I saw it.
The short lever on the input shaft is broken.
So the linkage is laying on the pedal lever.
That's pointing down, laying on the sidestand.
[yeah I know I did that last bit already,
but this is poetry, not tax accounting]
OK. Me thinks.
What gear were you in?
Neutral wasn't it?
Maybe it took 3rd, before the pedal jumped ship.
Ease out clutch.
Yes its in 'a' gear.
Probably 3rd.
That should get you home.
So a few revs and a dragging clutch.
Away slowly.
Three and a half at 60Ks.
It is 3rd.
So now what?
Plot a plan to avoid intersections.
Can be done. With a little luck.
Only 15 Ks from home. Shouldn't be too bad.
Hmmm.
I hadn't realised until today.
How not being able to change gears.
Can bugger up your riding rythm. So badly.
That your concentration. Just gets shot.
Get down to a big intersection. A turn left anytime.
But the lights have changed.
There are two lanes of cars coming from the right.
An 'incapable of making a decision' in a Hyundai blocking the turning lane.
Baffled by my inability to change gears.
I've forgotten the clutch still works.
So go wobbling by on the kerbside.
The Boxer at 500 revs, thumping away like an old 'Lanz Bulldog'.
The next set of lights go red.
I'm 100 metres away. Bugger.
Trail it down slowly.
'Brain dead' in the Hyundai is now on my ass.
Bright green late model Monaro is next.
Must completely stop in the lane.
Before turning into a servo driveway.
Wouldn't want knock off that big chin spoiler!
Why do people rice up their s###boxes.
With all that Tupperware?
Like it's gonna make any difference at 100KmH?
Morons.
Round the curve to the next set of lights.
I'm so busy watching them.
I forget my lane discipline.
Nearly get scrunched by a 'blonde bird' in a white EL Falcon.
Who pulls the 'move, look, then indicate'.
Lane change 'manouvre' on me.
Fortunately there is a left hand anytime available.
So I've got an escape route.
Had time to wave a middle finger at her.
Thanks luv.
Managed to avoid any hold ups, from there.
Until I was 200 Metres from home.
2nd last corner.
Gonna make it!
Hooray!
But... You wont guess this one!
Across the intersection.
There in the middle of the road.
Is a half inch socket extension.
Bright and shiny. Calling me.
I'll digress for a moment.
I am one of natures bower birds.
Been picking up bits of metal.
Since I was a kid.
I'm a shocker.
I've got drawers full of odd nick nacks.
Buckets full of old car badges.
Plastic containers of odd size metal threads.
Can't help myself.
If its metal. It goes in a pocket.
No matter what it is.
But if it's bright and shiny, all the better.
So there it was.
The socket extension.
But I cant stop.
I've got no gears.
What do I do?
Go home and walk back?
Bugger that. Too far.
Besides it'll be gone by then.
OK. Just turn around.
Stop with the clutch in.
You'll get the bike started again.
Go and grab it.
So I did.
It was a Sidchrome. Too.
Beauty!
Lucky day. Eh?
Back to the bike.
Penny drops.
You turned if off with the key.
Now it wont start, unless it's in neutral.
Buggah!
Was that extension worth this trouble?
Course it was.
It's a Sidchrome.
Out with the BM toolkit.
Grabbed the stubby end of the broken lever. With the pliers.
Then kicked the back wheel around until I got neutral.
Gotta love bikes with centre stands!
Started the motor. Pulled in the clutch.
Racked it back up into third using the pliers on the shift lever.
Jumped on.
Then headed home.
Made it.
Cheers Rusty.
A true story.
It's full of Australianisms of course.
It was written by an aussie for an aussie site.
Thought you might enjoy it.
R.
Linear Mode
