Moto Morini 500 V Twin
August 1980, The Bands I had been playing in had split up and I was still itching to play again.
I get a call to come and Audition with a Band that has Corporate Sponsorship and are looking for an exceptionally Good Looking Bassist ! ( Made that Part Up) There is a Party at a Friends House on the 16th of August and the suggestion is that we meet up there and Jam? , seems like a Good idea to me? Party Time, same friend I purchased My BSA Spitfire From!
Earlier in the Week my Dad had been asking me to Bring his Grandchildren to Church on the 17th ( I had been attending very infrequently) which I agreed to do.
So the Party on the 16th had a Braai , Peter and Gayle were there, told me he was going on Breakfast Run the next Morning,
Gayle would not go with unless Chris, my Wife went with? , so agreed to go . Note to self;- have promised to do 2 different things at the same time.
Jammed with this Band they seemed very happy with me, Party People enjoyed it! ( neighbours probably didn't?)
So , had spent the week doing the usual things at Lucas , been at the party on Saturday, Sunday Morning Early , Chris and I head out on the Kawasaki ,
Evil Vampire ( sorry Mother-in-Law) looking after her Grandchildren at our house, Got there while still dark ! ( probably to avoid direct Sunlight?)
Off we go , meet up with Peter on route , heading out to Fourways , rendezvous, before leaving for Hartebeespoort Dam, on the Way to Sun City.
The police had stopped me a while before on the way into Lucas, saying my Bike was too noisy so I had wound extra Fibreglass round the tail muffler of My J&B four into one pipe. I had noticed that it was battling to rev up properly , so borrowed a pair of pliers and removed the Fibreglass , prior to us leaving Fourways.
Anyway , we were Riding with the Italian Motorcycle Club, hence the Morini at the Start and some of these Beauties.
Something the Guzzi had that was very unusual ( and clever) was that the Footbrake operated the Rear Disc and one of the Front Disc's , the front brake lever operated the other front disc!
What this meant is, you could brake later, and longer in to a bend without the wheels locking up ( if you knew what you were doing?)
This was adequately demonstrated , when one of the Twits on a Guzzi , passed me on a Bend , suddenly decided he was going too fast and hit brakes a few metres in front of me, he very nearly took us out , annoying me somewhat.
We got to Sun City had a Great Mid-Morning Breakfast , and I filled up the Bikes Tank .