Tuesday 16 August 2011

"Wee Z" Cafe Slug or Caffeinated Commuter? Part I (and an explanation...)


This blog has come about due to the 'weak' arm tactics of a certain Mike Taylor. Mike's been on at me to make my writing more accessible to more people and has been championing the idea of a blog for quite a while. 

Evidently he has succeeded. 

So this is, first and foremost, a way to 'publish', in a sense (sadly no taste or smell yet), the "Wee Z" project log. This was, and still is, originally found within the Performance Bikes forum. To access this however you have to be a member. The Wee Z also didn't really fit in with the majority of other motorised bicycles on the site either; only really filling one criteria evident within the title of the forum.... and sadly that is not 'performance'.

Mike finally convinced me on a light night that never saw a dawn or dusk, within a wigwam in Applecross. It was also his thirtieth birthday and the first weekend after I'd handed my dissertation in. These factors added with the copious amounts of 'Ninja Blood' consumed earlier in the evening and the emotional nature of our discussion may have contributed to his winning me over. That however all doesn't really matter.

So here is the first installment of the "Wee Z" project log. I hope it creates some wrinkles.


So this story starts with a bored university student, two hundred miles away from home and all his two wheeled, engined possessions. Now take a minute and feel that pain.... got it? Concentrating on it? Are you feeling the longing and the hole inside?

Excellent, let us continue.

So I considered taking a bike down to Aberdeen but we live in an upper floor flat and we don’t have a drive, things get half inched around these parts and the climate isn’t particularly kind.  Adding to that, all my bikes at home are rather precious to me in various ways and degrees. Taking them from their nice safe, dry home in Caithness to the wilds of Aberdeen and all that that brings wasn’t very appealing. At our flat however we do have a garden with a wee shed. “Perfect situation for a project bike of low worth and value” I hear you mumble at your computer screen through half eaten biscuits and soup! And I agreed.

For the first three years I’d managed to placate the pain and longing with arsing around on my bmx and the occasional play with the car but the pull became too much....  My usual vigil of all things two wheeled moved up a gear (at least in to 3rd), rather than casually scrutinising (ohhh you’ve got to love a good oxymoron!) the local supermarket for sale signs, ebay , scotads, gum tree and the like for the fun and sheer interest of it, I was now hunting with a view to hand over money!

Now if you hadn’t already noticed or gathered, I am a student, (and really if you hadn’t noticed I suggest you re-read the above more closely and perhaps take notes to aid in your understanding of the piece!). Money is something that I am, as the stereotype goes, not very rich in, so the bike had to fit in with all my other expenditures.

I needed:
Something cheap to buy.
Something that had cheap and plentiful spares.
Something that would either go well when complete or at least look good and serve a purpose.
Something that was close to Aberdoom as room is tight in a ph1 Megane Coupe and 6n Polo!

My made up budget was about £500 but that was very hopeful and only something very interesting would have made me hand over that amount. £250 was a much more reasonable sum so I started phoning up and knocking on doors in search.

I went and viewed a ‘99 Husaberg 600 that was meant to be in supermoto trim. Highlight the word ‘meant’ there, it was simply a motocross bike without a spark. It wasn’t in great condition and I’d been warned of poor spares so thought best not. A sensible decision probably but one I still kind of regret....

I phoned and emailed off about a CBR600 steelie lying in someone’s shed but got no where.

A vfr 400 NC21 I think in Perth but the guy wanted too much in its state.

And various other bikes here and there but all with no real luck.

Then one fateful day my eyes fell across a marvel of understated cool on a frequently frequented (alliteration now!) auction site. The bike was in Aberdeen and the price was only just in treble figures. The fact that it was missing several key parts seemed to pass me by as I gazed with avid concentration fuelled with thoughts of possibilities.

I emailed the seller.

George responded.

We talked a little.

We struck a deal and he delivered the bike on Saturday the seventh of November ’09. It was originally on for £100 but I ended up paying £65 for it.

Now as you may have gathered I was viewing this motorbike through rather rose tinted spectaculars... And what the hell is it I hear you cry?

Well I’ll continue the story in a minute as ‘Deadly 60’ has just came on and it’s ace, so bide your time. Pics of epic awesomeness to follow and probably a lot more words....

4 comments:

  1. Hey ferg, looking forward to reading about your adventures, if mike is anything to go go by, i am sure I will be entertained. Hopefully you will get a few rides in as well as i love reading about what you made scotsman are up to, of course anythng is possiable.

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  2. Time for part 2 Ferg. The pressure's on.

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  3. Done Mr T. Raftnn hopefully you'll be reasonably entertained!

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