Honda as a motorcycling company has achieved quite a bit if I do say so myself. Numerous Isle of Mann TT wins, Grand Prix titles, bringing four cylinder motorcycling to the masses, wait, bringing motorcycling to the masses, a la Honda Cub and so forth. Today they are a company of mass proportions and at the front of innovation. If you're going for you're first bike, a Honda could be a good option, as they have some decent history to fall back on. I however, fell a little too hard on the history...
I found a CB250 73' model and it had been sitting in a shed out in Gundagai for the last 25 odd years. Quite unloved, I put it on the trailer, dropped it off at home and put some air in the tires. After I swapped out the battery, adjusted the points and gave her a kick, away I went. The clutch was as hard to squeeze as a cricket ball, the old twin leading shoe drum brakes were as responsive as granny hitting a mosquito and the cam chain rattle was causing small animals to circle out of control. There was a lot wrong with the little put put, but I absolutely loved it....
Ask anybody what their first bike was, I say 10 bucks says they all crack a smile at the memory of it. There was no such freedom at that time, bar a boat full of women on international waters, that could match the feeling of your first ride on you're first motorcycle.
Something would always go wrong with the thing, and being a less than average paid bar tender, it required me to figure it out and fix it on my own. The amount of times i have sworn at the the little twin, and thrown things at walls due to the problems it has caused me. I had no one to teach me but a terrible aftermarket manual that seems to have been written by an alcoholic who started drinking on page one. Alas, something happened. I got it right. To any one slightly handy with a hammer, saw or vernier calipers, you know this feeling.
It got me thinking, there are people who don't know this feeling. They pay for everything to be fixed, tuned, painted, and even cleaned. Now this is fine, have the cash? Have something better to do? Don't care about silly early 70's Hondas? No problems, it's just your missing out...
I fear the spanner twirling days are dying for my fellow younger riders. Most of my friends don't even change their own oil! Shock horror. Yet like riding, getting to know your machine is a bit of an accomplishment any one can achieve. Every time I go riding my now Hailwood wannabe Honda, I get people my age telling me they wish they could do that with a two-wheeled machine. It's easy, just find a manual written by an alcoholic, scream at it lots, kick the wall every now and then, and you have landed in the world of DIY motorcycle maintenance! Welcome, mind the oil slick on the floor....
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