Now every little boy thinks about a motorcycle at least a few times growing up and surely gets very excited when one goes by in all thunderous roar. They drool over them standing parked off and love's watching them speed anywhere.
As a small boy I use to talk my dad's ear off about how much I wanted a motorcycle when I'm older and when I was 11, not long before he passed away he said to me "when you are sixteen and your grades are good enough I will get you a bike"and I knew he meant it as he was not one for making idle agreements. Dad passed away just before my twelfth birthday and it broke my heart, he really was my guidance and strength.
I got on with coping with life having had many struggles I thought that the motorcycle was long off the table and besides I would have rather had my dad back. Anyway, I got to being sixteen and was halfway through my first real relationship with a dark haired girl called Annelise who lived only a few houses away when my bicycle broke down due to excessive use as school was a very long way off and mom couldn't drive a car. Oh and as with all young couples Annelise and I had a song
My mom, bless her soul had kept the money that dad had put into savings for my motorbike and sat me down to tell me the news which blew my mind and had me in tears as there was dad still making good on his promise so long after his passing. Mom made it clear that I would have to get at least my learners licence first and would then be given the money to go and choose the bike I liked. She knew school was a long way off and I needed to become self sufficient. So the studying for the license began, the came and I passed the written exam which claimed my learners license which I proudly presented to mom. She was very proud and also very nervous when she sat me down and begged that I be careful and always be responsible which I agreed to and so off to the bike shop we went, stopping off at the post office to collect the money in savings for me as per my dads instructions in his will.
Scully's was the name of the motorcycle /bike shop as the owner's last name was Van Schalkwyk. Really nice family who owned and I have stayed friends with their sons till today still. The gentleman and his wife Patsy took me through the options and then asked what I liked. Well I had done my homework and had decided on a Suzuki RG 50cc Gamma
The bike was dropped off at home for me where we lived in a block of flats and I was left to it with the owners manual on how to ride the bike. This was going to be interesting. I read the manual a few times and went on to stick the key in the ignition. Little bit of fuel applied by turning the throttle while releasing the clutch slowly. Not enough fuel and I stalled the bike. Second attempt, a little too much fuel andthe bike jumped forward, but not uncontrollably and I closed the throttle in time. Third attempt, just enough of bothe and off I went, slowly around the block in what was thankfully a quiet neighborhood, once, twice and eventually 20 times till I got the idea. Then I started the take off procedure again and tested this a few times to till it was perfect. Now the bike got put away so my then girlfriend could get some time to.
Another great song from that time in my life
The motorbike made getting to school a hell of a lot easier I'll tell you and getting my first one an experience I'll never forget and I kept my promise to mother to be safe and responsabil at all times.
Improvise Adapt & Overcome