Start Ya Bastard

Kick-starting classic bikes can be a world of pain.

- Geoff Seddon

My father was fond of dispensing advice in bite-sized chunks. On marriage, he warned me not to neglect my homework. In my career, he told me to make my own luck and in life, to play a straight bat. He rarely elaborated, which made his wisdom both memorable and timeless.

Another gem was to be careful what I wished for and this is especially apt as I get older. With the kids gone and the mortgage not far behind, turning wishes into reality is easier done than said. Whims can be accommodated if I don’t go silly.

My Norton is a case in point. Despite being happily married to a wonderful Ducati for more than 20 years, I lusted after something on the side to spice things up, an old flame even. I got my wish and have been paying for it ever since. After yet another rebuild (don’t ask), I’m hoping the worst of it is behind me because the best is sitting out there in the shed right now waiting for the pain in my leg to subside so I can ride it again. With a brand-new Combat motor, the old girl is really flying but, after shaving both head and barrels, she’s not exactly short of compression and I’m not exactly getting any younger.