On Temptation

does anyone have the 25 words or less version??

 

I was, I admit, tempted on the weekend.

By my own personal Devil.

Those who have been around a while know that my personal devil isn't
red with a pitchfork, it's yellow (well more orange these days) with a
single cylinder, a loud pipe, and a tendency to encourage me to do
Naughty Things.

And so it was on Saturday.

Phil and I had gone over it beforehand, as there was a bit of a
petrol drip (loose tap on the right), it needed a new battery, and
someone had been measuring the frame up so various bits had been
removed.

So it was fuelled and checked and fettled and ready to go
ROOOAAAARRRRR!

Which it did.

Now it's always a bit tricky riding the Devil the first time after a
long break. It isn't just the right side one up four down gearbox,
it's the riding position where you have to get just the right angle of
body and arms, and let us not forget the habit of dying just off
idle...

So I had to settle in for a bit as we dawdled up South Road, me
getting used to the Devil again, and Phil following in the Alfa
because despite a shed full of motorbicycles none of them are
registrered right now!

The Devil and I were settling in, taking it easy in the traffic
because while the drum brakes are the best of their time they are
still drums and it's hard to put full force on the fixed angle brake
lever unless your forearms are horizontal - try riding a tiny bike
with knee level clipons in traffic with your forearms horizontal.
It's OK out in the hills, in traffic all you can see at that level is
other people's numberplates.

But we shook down and started working together and as we approached
the Bel Air road it was starting...

"Come on" the bike whispers "there's room to pass!" "Quick, split
between the ute and the sedan, there's room, they are only doing 30"

I'm afraid that I did give in to temptation, executing a couple of
quick darts through traffic so I could get a run at the first hilly
corners and then a rather, shall we say, daring passing move because
some sod in a pregnant rollerskate was going just too damn slow...

Trouble is that if you give in to temptation once it is easier to do
it the next time (a slightly dodgly overtake just before Blackwood)
and the next time (a bit of tricky lanesplitting near the roundabout) and the
next time (80kmh? here? it is to laugh!)

But then we got into the climb to the Cherry Gardens turnoff (after
dealing with a Terio doing 40, you'd think they don't go round corners
or something.) and the Devil and I were in complete agreement.

VVROOOOAAARRR! VVVROOOOAAAARRRR!

I'm horribly out of practice, and it was clear the bike was annoyed
with me. I tried to tell it that it was lucky it was getting a run at
all, but I should have saved my breath. I've never been able to talk
sense into the Yellow Devil and today was no different. So I watched
the white line and tried to remember which 30kmh advisory signs meant
it and which ones didn't.

We tootled through Clarendon, and then the boring bits to Meadows.
Only one real corner in the lot and that had a van in it. Gah.

I didn't feel up to the Macclesfield/Strathalbyn road, given my
rather average performance to Clarendon, so I went by Paris Creek
instead. After passing a silly blue thing I wound the Devil up and
we were doing 75mph or so which is a fair old clip for a 40yo 450
single on the current sprocket sizes.

The Alfa passed the blue thing too although Phil forgot he didn't
have the wide wheels on, so the drift was a bit impressive...

INto Strath and lunch, then back via heaven-on-a-stick, otherwise
known as the Bull Creek Road.

I waved the Alfa on ahead as the Ashbourne to Bull Creek Road isn't
fun till you can go a lot faster than the Devil can. So the Alfa
disappeared like a red flash and the Devil and I sloped along at more
or less the speed limit.

Then the right turn into Bull Creek, past the Alfa waiting for us, and it was on!

I dialled in a steady 65mph (well.. 70 in spots, I may even have
seem 75 at one point) and went into the zen state that the Bull
Creek road inspires in me. The Devil in complete agreement, no
snarky remarks just pure enjoyment.

(The Alfa took a bit to catch up, which surprised me. I think Phil
wasn't wanting to push those wheels too much)

Swinging through the string of 60kmh corners that make up Bull Creek I
haven't been happier in months. The wonderful howl of a contented
sporting single, the riding position perfectly comfortable at speed,
the bike responsive and joyful.

We rolled into Meadows, checked the weather and decided it was time to
head home.

I was a lot less ragged on the ride out from Clarendon than was on
the ride in, although that bloody off cambler decreasing right hander
heading down from the Cherry Gardens turnoff still made life
difficult!

But aside from that, and aside from the traffic requiring me to use
the brakes with my wrist at a horribly uncomfortable angle (meaning I
mostly used engine braking) it was a damn fine day.

Alas the weather was horrible the next two days, so the Devil and I
only got that one ride together.

I'm sure it is saving a lot of temptations for the next time.

Zebee

 

Sounds like the 1000cc Jap sportsbikes I have owned. They just make it
too easy to roll the throttle on. My 07 Gixxer thou could power wheelie
in 3rd at 170kph.

Fraser

 

I knew that!

Thanks for nice story.

As for folk mumbling about Jap big fours...... no sense of style whatsoever.

Are you back in Sydney?

What are you doing these days anyway?

Maybe an e-mail?

regards,
CrazyCam

 

She took her old bike out for a ride, had lunch and rode back - and lived to
tell the tale.

I wonder if Reader's Digest are hiring editors?

 

How nice it is to read something which is motorcycle related

Thanks for the experience
Ducati ?

 

If this devil is a 450 desmo you're going to have to put up with me
hating you.

Just so you know.

N/

 

You guys are SO unkind. It was a great read. I enjoyed every word.
That Zebee bloke is a bloody good writer. Probably a good rider
too...

Thanks Zebee...

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 24 May 2011 17:57:42 +1000

It is, and take a number and wait...

Zebee
- owner of a 450 yellow desmo and enough bits to make another one. Bwahahahah

 

shame shame shame! The joy is in the detail - and the detail was fab -
thanks Zebee

What Gerry said!

I loved the details - made me feel almost as if I was there

betty

 

Hey, don't look at me in that tone of voice!

I was just responding to a request for assistance, nothing more, nothing
less - I wasn't giving comment on Zebee's novella!

 

On Tue, 24 May 2011 06:38:52 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:


I was half expecting the "silly blue thing" to develop flashing lights
and sirens.

Nice to hear it didn't have the added excitement.

I recall chasing a mate on a desmo through tight twisties, the 450 had
insane ground clearance.

 

lol - turning a novella into 25 words or less is an art form! I've tried it
with students, and most of them are woeful. Well done-ish ;-) tee hee

betty

 

1000 words = 20 minutes

25 words = 25 hours

Rates available on application.

 

A great read, thanks Zebee. Once again I hear the voices saying "fix
it, fix it, you know want to" and they're right. In my case, "it"
isn't quite as noteworthy, but it's not too far off (Mark 3 250 (not a
"D"), twin filler). One day.

Tony F

 

I think we all hear that occasionally but with 6 C weather and a warning
about another fall being very bad hesitation abounds

even with the whisper of the "Tambourine run" calling

 

You must've read that with your rose coloured glasses on. She committed
many many "hoon" offences.

Nev..

 

She was "in the zone". One can do no wrong "in the zone". ;-)

=================

Onya bike

Gerry

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 26 May 2011 21:19:22 +1000

Some of which were indeed inconsistent with most definitions of "good
rider". But not all were.

Zebee

 

oh noes!!!!!

Tony F