I had a great day out, the weather really turned it on after being rather ordinary locally for what has seemed like far too long..........And then I meet one of the really nice people you occasionally come across in your travels.
I hadn't got my helmet after parking in Hansos' home town when a guy comes up to me and says "I ride a rocket"!!!!, so I quickly worked out that this wasn't Hanso, he was the other Rocket owner in the Bay, but we a had a chat and presently this rumbling sound became evident and along the street comes a very low slung looking Cycle that pulls in to my park space and a beaming "smile with eyes" in a leather clad hemet introduces himself as Hans. The 3 of us had an intro session and then the other chap, Terry, left and Hanso and I proceeded across the road to get some lunch.
Hanso made me feel very welcome and after the usual "meet and greet" we sat down and talked while we waited for lunch to arrive. (I thought to myself that this guy must have been vaccinated with a Gramaphone needle as a child... Talk about talk mate, not just talk, but with so much passion about his beloved Rocket 111). Blinded me with science when it came to tunes etc..... I thought trading tunes was something to with Itunes and music tracks.... apparently not!!
Meanwhile out in the street, a lovely Lady recognised the 2 Rocket 3's parked together and suspected the worst, ie. that Hanso wasn't doing the housework that had been discussed earlier in the day at home. She correctly summised that he was passing the day talking Rockets and not elbow deep in the sink doing the dishes
.
Ann came in and introduced herself as the more redeeming half of the Hanso family (and much better looking too!!!!), just mentioning the dishes and then carried on with her errands in town.
We had lunch and then mounted up for the short trip to the Hanso home near the sea. It was odd to see the wide car tyre lifting off the road as he went around corners, and the sound of the new headers and exhaust was really something else, pure music!! Maybe that is the TUNE he was talking about??????????????
As I live at 800 metres ASL where the weather is very much cooler, I had carried a pair of shorts with me and not being one to be at all shy, I quickly succumbed to the much warmer weather at the coast and dropped the Kevlar Jeans I wear while riding in Hansos' driveway and hung them on the fence, it was so much more pleasant in shorts.
ATGATT!!!! All the gear, all the time!!
First job was a tour of the Darksider that Hanso has created, there are far too many additions and alterations to list here, but the pinstriping on the wheels rims in the same red as the rest of the bike is a very nice touch.
I learnt heaps while the job of installing a lighting relay was carried out, amidst many sidetracks as the conversation kept detouring (did I mention that Hanso can talk???).
We got the wiring done and them out came the tiny little Laptop, and I thought he was going to make me listen to his favourite music.... he did mentioned tunes and it was a resonable assumption i thought. Little did I know!!!!
Blow me down if he didn't plug the thing into my bike and start laughing about the absolute stock standard tune in it, but I couldn't hear a thing!!!!!
The last time I watched someone tune my bike was in the late 70's on my SOHC 750/4 Honda and he used a screwdriver and a set of little Peas in tubes attached to the vacuum side of each carby.....It would appear technology has left me behind somewhat!!!!
I am a fossil even at work these days after 31 years of dragging hose at fires and cutting cars open to remove "Bulletproof" teenagers who sadly find out that life is not a video game.
Back to the Tune thing, I was shown how Triumph had attempted to Dumb-down a potential Rocket sled Motorcycle to the lowest common denominator, ie the customer, so they wouldn't all be jobs for Firemen in the first week after buying their Rocket 111. We opened the "Secondaries" and Hanso said that would make getting off the mark a lot smoother... apparently!
Once all was reassembled and the floor checked for bits, bolts and other parts that had been missed, I put my pants back on, bid my farewells and carefully packed a small sample of the Batemans Bay equivalent of Appalachian liquid Moonlight that is produced by my new friend, and I headed home.
The Verdict..... Leaving Hansos' place and riding down to the turnoff to head back up the hill to the elevated regions of New South Wales, my phone rang in my pocket. The WIFE!!!! Her "Where are you?" Me, The big roundabout in the Bay, Her, We are going out for Dinner at 6.30 in Murumbateman, (100Km's the other side of home) be there or be in trouble.
My leisurely 2 hour ride home was now a 1 1/2 hour sprint, with an empty service station on the way, so no fuel up and petrol light on when I get home. 30 Km's into town tomorrow to get fuel I hope I get there. My new tune was singing on the steep winding road up the Clyde Mountain, down to 1st on some corners, Man, I love my new Triumph and the tune it plays!!
I got to the dinner venue after changing clothes and vehicles and we got home at 11.45 pm, her driving and me a little worse for wear, ie a little tired
on the Red wine.
I had a great day, met some new friends, have a bike that plays music and a little moonshine to boot!!!
One of my other many vices is hunting and Firearms and I have always manitained that you meet the nicest people out hunting or on the range, I have now proved that the same can be said of Rocket owners...
Thanks Hans and Ann, I had a great day out.
Cheers,
Mal the Kiwi.