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18 years ago, my short career as a dispatch rider ended abruptly when a car pulled into the side of my bike. In the accident, my left hip was smashed, both bones in my lower leg were broken right through, my knee was crushed, my ankle was lacerated, assorted muscles and tendons were severed and both of my hands were broken.
After three months in hospital, seven operations and six years of wearing a very itchy leg brace, I now stand mostly on my own, using a stick in 'bad arthritis weather'.
To add injury to injury, three days after I finally got out of hospital I was a passenger in a car accident. The crash bent the plate in my lower leg and left me with a permanent deformity as they could only bend it back so far. I stayed away from roads for quite a long time. Frankly, I was too scared to go near them.
Then, four years ago, I got a Yamaha XS 850 Trike. I called her Morrigan after the battle crow. And battle we did.
I hunted down various spares, sorted electrics, re-sprayed and modified the trike to make her comfy and reliable. When I finally got there and could set out with the expectation of getting home again with only minor stops for adjustments, I went to Anglesey following my partner on her 900cc Thunderbird Sport. (Not that easy without a grappling hook). But then it's not easy to follow any bike when there's a hint of a bend, and the A5 through Wales doesn't hint, it screams!
When I got home, I found myself looking at the internet (I was just browsing trike sites, you understand) when I came across this black and shiny XV1100 Virago Trike with Kliktronic gear shift and Quaife reverse gear. I tried to resist but I guess there must be some magpie in my genes...
The shiny thing was calling me, so against better judgement and bank balance I lifted the phone to my ear and heard that she was sitting there all alone, with no-one to polish her, un-loved, dejected. (What Tony from Wackey's Trikes actually said was that, no, she hadn't been sold yet.)
I borrowed a car and tricked a friend into driving me from Hinckley to somewhere on the far side of Exeter and back in one day.
Three days later, the new trike was snug in my garage being polished. I though I'd spoil her to start with (she needn't get used to it as the trike is my main form of transport, I do have a half share in a car for bad weather or to transport stuff, but the other half is 50 miles away so I'm mostly on the trike).
The first thing I did was to build a nice big back box and rewire the rear end.
I love the reverse box (despite it spewing oil to start with). The manufacturer (Quaife) looked into it and found it was a common problem, so they developed an add-on reservoir type gadget. There's one in the post for me to try. Hopefully that should be the problem ironed out for a while.
I'm not getting on well with the Klicktronic yet but I guess it will take practice. My heel tends to foul the shift so I'm looking at fitting running boards.
So, the new trike hasn't been the easy, get-on-and-ride experience I was hoping for, but I guess you need to spend time and effort on any new three-wheeler to make her truly yours.
Dawn Robson
Wackey's Trikes can be contacted on 0183 786 1349 - or see the web site www.wackeystrikes.co.uk
This NABD grant of £400.00 was sponsored by donations raised by; III Rivers HOGUK
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