Years ago, I was working as a courier for Chaingang. I'd just had my main Mo'bike run over by a van, so was passing the time lording it around on a Honda C90. Honda C90's are amongst the coolest things ever invented...not only are they indestructible (prooven)and cost less to run than a bicycle but they also have 17inch wheels, thus enabling the fitting of old and ludicrously sticky rubber from my then 125 race bike.
So anyway, it was summer and my skills were sharp....I could flick that little bitch on its side in a nano-second and wallow/grind my way through turns with impugnity. I could rev out when changing from first to second and abuse the little clutch into pinging up long and balanced wheelies (albeit at pushbike speed)...in all senses of the word, I was a little twat.
Hurtling, flat out, down the mall and into the lefthander in front of buckingham palace one blissfully sunny, friday afternoon, I hurl her down and commence the long grind around the corner, sparks flicking from the footrests. About half way through the turn, I look left and see a taxi moving right to push me wide...I begin to drift....looking right I see a long wet stripe of gak on the 'mac that I just cannot avoid....further right is another stream of traffic so no hope to stand it upright....
So I hit the dreaded diesel and loose it big time....the front folds but miraculously grips again but the rear is already halfway to W2 and just not coming back ...with only enough time to enunciate a garbled.."FUuuuuuuu" it grips and spits me about 5 foot up in the air, straight over the top and down hard on my back in the middle of the road, about 4 foot from 2 plod, and a large group of frantically snapping japanese tourists.
Lying, completely winded (and fairly dazed and confused) plod comes running over, shouting AMBULANCE...CALL AN AMBULANCE...to his colleague. I realise, I'm basically OK but everytime I try and speak, only an asmatic sucking noise emerges, further stoking his panic. After about a minute, I finally manage to pull in a huge gasp of london luft and manage to de-lid and choke out that I'm fine.
In the meantime, a crowd has gathered and is taking photos, ALL the traffic turning left off the mall has had to stop and left a morass of beeping angry drivers halfways back to traf sq. My faithful C90, has left a pool of juice on the road and a gash in my knee is gupping claret.
Amid the mayhem, Plod whip out the TCP, give me a bandage, help me bend my footrests and handlebars straight and help me on my way with nary a document check or producer mentioned.
All in all, pretty embarassing but I think I'm still probably the only person to have ever highsided a C90.
Soz for long story - systems broken at the office so nowt else to do! ;)
A good Police story...just to balance my Karma.
Years ago, I was working as a courier for Chaingang. I'd just had my main Mo'bike run over by a van, so was passing the time lording it around on a Honda C90. Honda C90's are amongst the coolest things ever invented...not only are they indestructible (prooven)and cost less to run than a bicycle but they also have 17inch wheels, thus enabling the fitting of old and ludicrously sticky rubber from my then 125 race bike.
So anyway, it was summer and my skills were sharp....I could flick that little bitch on its side in a nano-second and wallow/grind my way through turns with impugnity. I could rev out when changing from first to second and abuse the little clutch into pinging up long and balanced wheelies (albeit at pushbike speed)...in all senses of the word, I was a little twat.
Hurtling, flat out, down the mall and into the lefthander in front of buckingham palace one blissfully sunny, friday afternoon, I hurl her down and commence the long grind around the corner, sparks flicking from the footrests. About half way through the turn, I look left and see a taxi moving right to push me wide...I begin to drift....looking right I see a long wet stripe of gak on the 'mac that I just cannot avoid....further right is another stream of traffic so no hope to stand it upright....
So I hit the dreaded diesel and loose it big time....the front folds but miraculously grips again but the rear is already halfway to W2 and just not coming back ...with only enough time to enunciate a garbled.."FUuuuuuuu" it grips and spits me about 5 foot up in the air, straight over the top and down hard on my back in the middle of the road, about 4 foot from 2 plod, and a large group of frantically snapping japanese tourists.
Lying, completely winded (and fairly dazed and confused) plod comes running over, shouting AMBULANCE...CALL AN AMBULANCE...to his colleague. I realise, I'm basically OK but everytime I try and speak, only an asmatic sucking noise emerges, further stoking his panic. After about a minute, I finally manage to pull in a huge gasp of london luft and manage to de-lid and choke out that I'm fine.
In the meantime, a crowd has gathered and is taking photos, ALL the traffic turning left off the mall has had to stop and left a morass of beeping angry drivers halfways back to traf sq. My faithful C90, has left a pool of juice on the road and a gash in my knee is gupping claret.
Amid the mayhem, Plod whip out the TCP, give me a bandage, help me bend my footrests and handlebars straight and help me on my way with nary a document check or producer mentioned.
All in all, pretty embarassing but I think I'm still probably the only person to have ever highsided a C90.
Soz for long story - systems broken at the office so nowt else to do! ;)