The bike was delivered to my place and I drove the neighbours crazy by going slowly round the block 50 times doing left hand corners and then another 50 times slowly doing right hand corners. I had the bike a couple of years and ended up driving it like a lunatic. I think I managed to go faster on this bike than any other - 150mph down a small B road - this wasn't a sensible place to do that speed but I figured I could see all the junctions so why not. Inevitably I managed to have 5 major spills on the bike and, though it was built tough, eventually I had to say it was the end.
It was the back tyre that caught my eye, for those days it was huge. I asked for a test drive and, not being stupid, they wouldn't let me drive and instead put me on the back with one of the garage hands driving. I was hooked the moment it started up. I'd say the bike was 3 times heavier than my last bike, 10 times more powerfull and about 3 or 4 times faster. I believe the exact same model was raced in some transatlantic race the previous year and won - maybe it wasn't the best progression from my trusty learner bike.
I filled the insurance form (a non fault accident for once) and everything seemed to be progressing fine. Then we moved house and things were left. A year later I passed the house and saw the wreckage sitting outside my old house and thought it would be best to finish the claim ! I rang the insurance and they said no problem, just have the bike brought in and they'd pay. I went back at the weekend and found the bike had gone! and of course it was no longer insured now.
