A NEW BIKE IN THE FAMILY

By Tony Gray, Member #3905

The many friends I have in the club who know me well understand that I do not get attracted to new shiny things or machines that rely on several computers to operate effectively. Show me something old and a bit tired that is crying out for attention and I am immediately attracted.

And so it has come to pass that another motorcycle waif has been added to the Gray stable – this one has not so much been added to the stable rather just taken up permanent residency after a term under a temporary protection order. She/he (still to be named) is a 1997 R1100GS with just under 130,000km to his/her credit. Let’s just call him/her BIG RED for the purpose of this story.

I first heard of BIG RED in July 2019 when asked by my daughter if I could help out a good friend whose husband had died leaving her with many problems including a few motorbikes. One of those motorbikes was BIG RED who sat languishing at M&W with brake failure that they could not resolve. I spoke to a couple of club members far more knowledgeable than me with the R1100s about said brake failure & potential solutions. Richard Maher immediately identified the bike – yes he had seen it many times at M&W being wheeled in & out of the workshop with a big NO BRAKES sign on it. With the owners agreement I negotiated a settlement with M&W and presented with trailer in tow, to rescue BIG RED. BIG RED’s next home was in a shed of another friend of the owner who thought he may be interested in buying the bike. That potential sale failed as did a third so BIG RED sat languishing in the shed for another year unloved and unwanted. At this stage of the story I am sure our esteemed editor Cindy will have a mental picture of the many rescue dogs with pleading eyes that she saw while working with the RSPCA. Yes BIG RED has those eyes.

In May 2020 the owner of the shed announced he had sold his house and BIG RED had to go. Another trip in the trailer and BIG RED came under a temporary protection order to reside at the Gray abode. Have I mentioned how hard it is to move a heavy R1100GS with no brakes and no engine power up & down slopes and in & out of trailers? BIG RED has lived here now since late 2020 during which time she/he has been serviced and treated with the care deserving of someone 25 years of age – has anyone ever equated bike to

human years like we do for dogs at 7:1? Perhaps 3:1 for the general population of bikes or 2:1 in the case of BMWs would be appropriate? There are a few options under consideration with regard to the ABS brake failure so watch this space for developments. In the meantime an offer of a set of Ohlins suspenders that had very little use on an R1100GS came to notice through another club member and have been secured so that BIG RED will be beautifully sprung when she/he hits the road once again. There’s nothing like a bit of high quality bling to get the heart pumping.