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DethBeard
Jung
The first bike I ever couriered on was a c90 I got from my uncle. At 17 it was, literally the only thing I could afford to get commercial insurance on. In an effort to bolster performance I used to fit the used Dunlop KR364 tyres off my race bike. While the leading link front suspension mandated a somewhat esoteric riding style, in no time I was absolutely earholing it everywhere. Pegs down, hanging off like a chimp.
On a scorching Friday afternoon, I was heading out to W6 from the west end. Bowling down the mall, I flicked left at Buck house, then right, flat in top to head towards Victoria. Mid corner, bouncing and scraping, I spotted a line of diesel, just as a cab drifted left to push me right over it. The front folded completely for a second but much to my amazement, came back. The back, however had other ideas and whipped around so fast the next thing I knew I was way up in the air over the high side and landing on my back in the middle of the road.
As I lay there, completely winded, an armed cop came running over - he was shouting at me to keep still and trying to direct traffic around me. I was trying to tell him, I was fine but it was taking a longer than expected to get my puff back. Eventually we figured out that aside from a gashed knee and sore ribs, I was alright. So he held the bike while I kicked the footrests straight and set off again.
C90s are indeed the cockroaches of the motorcycle kingdom.