Recovering from Loomies

Key to Recovery


I pulled in to the Esso garage to fill up on go-juice for the start of the week and pulled out the ignition key. The bottom half of it fell off onto the tank. "This", I announced to a loud outside World, "is not the way to endear yourself to me today!"

Dilbert was pushed clear of the pumps and I put in a call to Green Flag, who promised to be with me in an hour as the Key and Lock people couldn't help with a motorbike, least of all my Honda. Not being a pub I decided to try out a pastie and some water while I settled for a wait. A long wait - certainly over the prescribed hour.

When the guy from Boarhunt (under the Castle banner) arrived with the flatbed I had a push from him up the ramp and had a scare holding the front brake on the slope, with the bed lifting off the concrete, and the whole bike slipping back on the oily stainless steel. Once flattened again we pushed Dilbert against the bulkhead and his handlebars were stropped tightly to the deck with his forks fully compressed. It looked painful.



Once home, I offered to sit astride Dilbert with both front and rear brakes on to stop the slipping off into space routine risked earlier. In the event the angle of the ramp was far less and I smoothly reversed off under power of gravity.

Dilbert is now locked up outside my hallway window. Tomorrow I'll call Portmouth Honda and request a key set. In the meantime this means I'm back to the car for tomorrow. Tonight I'm putting Phut-Phut onto ebay and riding it to High Wycombe tomorrow just doesn't appeal to me; not at all! :(

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