You better believe it, I am Chuffed !!

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grizz

Grey Hound
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
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Location
In a Straightjacket.
Bike
BMW R1200GS
To most of us, riding a bike happens without thought, instinctively, usually without drama.
Possibly, like me, you have been riding since age 14, when I started on a RD350 aircooled bike once my dad found out my brother and I wanted to start riding.
Many of us are natuarally inclined mechanically, or just know how to drive a car, make an executive decission etc.

Some of you will also know I am quite intollerant of the bulk of todays youth, due to a percieved lack of drive and values on their side..... that said, I also believe strongly that there is good energy to be harnessed in even the worst offender types of kids with ASBO's.

When I married Nicola, I got a son and daughter in the deal.
Hannah is 19 and at University doing radiography.
Tom, on the other hand will be 16 in October, and not having a son of my own, I am always keen to drag him into the sunshine, away from the X-Box/PS3/Internet and to teach him some "Manly stuff" (That said, he was in the top 5% for his age group in the UK for IT last year, so not stupid)

Today I got him out of the house for about 30 minutes, away from Black Ops, Doom, Super Mario Brothers or whatever crap it is he is playing with all his mates via the WWW.

He has in the last few weeks started to verbalise an interest in some form of transport for when he turns 16...... it just so happens that I still have the 50cc Sachs Madass in the garage, which his mother does not particularly like, as I did not consult her 7 months ago when I bought it.

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Before we went outside, I used Google images to get pics of a DT125, YBR125 and some scooters for him, and unprompted he went for the look of the DT, so it seems he prefers the Dualsport look, and after pointing out there was less plastics to destroy and replace, he seemed pretty pleased with his preference.

After some instruction, and hoping that his spindly X-Box controller fingers could manage to hold onto the handlebars and control the clutch and throttle, I took out the Scorpa and started it for him (Not sure he has the "strength/knack" to kickstart it yet)

After a first attempt at pulling away, he managed to stall it without moving...... oopppps !

Re-Run through the sequence and start the bike again.....

Next up he managed to dump the clutch in 2nd, rev the nuts off it, and Spectacularly Launch the bike, with himself attached in a deathly grip on the handlebars up the drive about 15 foot and destroy part of the hedge, 2 plastic pots and rip out and break off one of the garden spotlights..... (I am still chuckling now while writing this)

Thankfully the Scorpa is a tough machine and built to be thrown about a bit, so with engine still running, I retrieved both a shaken Tom and the bike from the garden bed, picking flower petals from his hair and chunks of the hedge from the brake lever and front number board of the bike.

He was still appologising when I got him back onto it and sent him off on his first 3 foot ride, before he was overcome by his success.

After this things just got better and better and half an hour later he was doing the full length of the grass, stopping and starting successfully.

I was so chuffed that when he wanted to call it a day, I ran inside and forced Nicola to come look at her "baby" get on with it.

Tomorrow it will be a re-run of todays 2nd gear pull away, then doing a U-Turn in the garden, hopefully followed by oval loops of the garden. If I can keep him engaged in that for long enough it will be great to teach him to change gear on the move too.

I have to mention this publically, I am really proud of what Tom got right today, as he is also left handed, and I remember how my brother struggled at age 12 just to get the co-ordination right. I hope this Motorbike riding lark can become a fun and safe thing for him to share with Nicola and I.

All in all, I am very Chuffed !!


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I kept him stoping and starting up and down the garden.

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