Dwindling Motorcycle Supply An Easter Eggperience!

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

Between us, friend Gary Randall and I now have but two running motorcycles, one each. We’re in crisis mode – determined to ride this Easter Sunday but wary of what might happen next.

Most of the bikes in Gary’s vintage collection are on the disabled list, including an Indian, a BMW, a Kawasaki and a BSA. The Indian developed an electrical problem a couple of weeks ago, stranding him in Falls Village. The Beemer blew a spark plug out of the head last fall, stranding him in Massachusetts, and hasn’t been fixed. The Kawasaki has bald tires. The BSA is leaking too much oil to be trusted. Only his old Triumph Bonneville is running. He rides it enough that it doesn’t feel neglected.

I was in good shape until yesterday. Yes, the antique Triumph Daytona was down due to a short and dirty carbs, and which stranded me in Harwinton late last fall, but the old Honda and BMW were still running smoothly – until I went to ride the Beemer yesterday morning. At the top of the driveway, I tapped the  foot shifter into first gear and it snapped off, leaving the linkage dangling. I rolled it back into the garage and backed out the Honda.

So, here we are on the morning of Easter Sunday. Two guys. Two working bikes that are both more than 35 years old, and two hours or so to get in a brunch ride. We’re holding off until 10 a.m. to let the temperature rise a bit. Will Murphy’s Law be in effect? Will Easter eggs roll across the roadway and wipe out one or both of our two remaining bikes? I refuse to ride two-up on the CB750.

After yesterday’s episode, I rode to Willow’s Motorsports in Cheshire to look at new bikes. Maybe one modern, reliable ride would better – and cheaper overall – than three vintage machines. I also phoned Max BMW in Brookfield and ordered a new shifter. The tab was $70. That would have bought a lot of chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.

Update: The brunch ride came off without a hitch. Both the Honda and the Triumph ran smoothly. It was chilly riding to Toymaker’s Cafe in Falls Village, but much more pleasant coming home. Taking back roads as opposed to Route 63 helped as well because the pace was slower and the route required that more attention be paid to riding.