Typical! It all falls apart at once. First, I set out on a ride to Sydney, get six kays up the road and the rear tyre goes flat. It’s not a simple puncture, either, but one that just won’t take a plug. I limp the bike home and am forced to take the ute to Sydney. I’m going to the big smoke to pick up a test bike, and so I’ll have to leave the ute there for more than a week, not an ideal situation because I’ve always got jobs for it around home.
Two days later, before I’ve had a chance to sort out a new tyre for the BMW, the test bike’s starter motor dies. Strewth, starter motors don’t die. I’ve never had it happen to me on any vehicle in my entire life. A starter relay failed once, but not a start motor.
So thanks to this freak failure, I’ve got two dead bikes in the shed and a ute that’s 300km away.
The only saving grace is that I can steal Anne’s car, and she can work it out with the girls because they’ve got their own cars now too. All I’ve gotta do is figure out the logistics of getting everything put right again.
Let’s see: tee up new tyre in town; drive Anne’s car to Sydney, swap it for the ute and a new starter motor; drive ute home, fit starter motor, finish test; remove BMW wheel and take it in ute to have tyre fitted in town; return test bike to Sydney and come home in Anne’s car. That should work.
If nothing else goes wrong…
By Mick Matheson