12/03/12- THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BIKER AND A "BIKERETTE"

9^th March 2012 : A new bike arrives (but only temporarily …..)

It’s been a while (well six months) since I’ve bought a bike and although an NVT Easy Rider barely qualifies under that description, as it’s got two wheels and an engine, it just about scrapes through.

So on Friday after work, saw me trundling down the M6/M5/A30/A39 and finally the A394 down the Helston in Cornwall – or put it another way, about 20 miles or so from Lands End.  It was the early hours of Saturday morning before I was home L.

My prize – a 1977 NVT easy Rider Moped JJ

For the princely sum of £137, I was the proud owner (albeit a temporary one) of a 1977 NVT Easy Rider.  I’d already sold the bike on even before collecting it (to Dave Bloor, a friend and an equally sad collector of mopeds) as actually, it wasn’t the bike that I was interested in, more what came with it – some original legshields and an original screen. 

Genuine Easy Rider Legshields

A genuine Easy Rider Windshield

So why did I travel a round trip of nearly 500 miles to pick up what most people would consider junk ? OK, actually it is junk ….. JJ

Well, last year, myself and an intrepid band of bikers (read : idiots) rode a similar moped from John O’Groats to Lands End over a 6 day period – I only rode the last 200 yards if I’m honest – and in the process raised over £10,000 for help for Heroes.

This year, we’re doing a similar ride, well actually rides.  The moped that completed the JOG-LE run, is being ridden from the Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower (in Paris) over a 5 day period.  At the same time, another group of the lunatics that I’m proud to call my friends, will be riding a 1979 NVT Rambler 125cc from Nordcapp (that’s the very top of Norway) to Gibraltar.  Again, both of these rides are being done for charity and in due course I will be posting up the “JustGiving” page details here, so don’t worry too much about not being able to donate right at this very moment.

In the meantime, I’m preparing the bikes and this is where the legshields and windscreen come in as they’re to be fitted to the moped to make the pain of the journey, just that little bit less for the riders.

The NVT Moped at the end of last years ride

I spent the following day, cleaning up my newly acquired treasures ready for fitting.

Oh and for anyone following the story, there’s been no real developments of note this week regarding my “discussions” with Warwickshire Police Force ………….