Damien

It seems strange that Damien has not featured in this blog, for we have done so much riding together in the past. It was thanks to Damien, years ago, that I switched from motorcycling as a mere form of transport, and into a country-riding motorcycle enthusiast. In turn I did Damien the favour of meeting him once, at an earlier date, and spending the evening in conversation about motorcycles. He had stopped riding since leaving Perth and selling his Ducati. Our conversation re-lit the fire in him and he bought another Duc.

We do have some differences, however. I love old bikes. Damien loves high-powered super-sports rocketships. We don't ride together so much as start off together and end together, enjoying our own pace in between. Which is good, because Damien is fast. And competitive.

The last time, however, that we rode together Damien had reason to pull up early, and so I came across him thoughtfully looking out over the ocean, from the heights of The Great Ocean Road. He had been relatively well-behaved that day, cruising at 130kph along that 80kph zone. The police officer sniped about how long it had taken to catch up with him.

Cop: "Do you know what speed you were doing through that town back there?"

Damien: Goes to say, "What town?", but thinks better of it.

The town was a 50kph zone.

After chatting with the police officer Damien lost his license for 15 months. He very recently got it back, but due to the loss of points he must now lose it for 3 months again, starting this Tuesday.

So we went for a ride together today. Me on the SR500. Damien on my Hornet 600. For the first and probably last time ever, I consistently left Damien in the dust.

Damien had forgotten how much he loves riding. He announced at the end of the ride that this had been the best day of his life. When speaking to his newly-appointed wife on the phone he down-graded it to second best day.



Next year you will hopefully see more of Damien. Perhaps in time we'll see all the members of the old gang together: Rosy too, certainly, and Fee talks of getting her SR185 back on the road. I now own Adam's Hornet, but maybe we can talk him into a re-union ride....