For the first time in my life, and with SWMBO visiting her parents in the Czech Republic for Easter, I've been dangerously unfaithful.
I've fallen in love with another.
With the sun shining, and the prospect of a bachelor weekend ahead, the umbilical cord that is Optimate life support was removed, and my freshly serviced Honda Hornet came out of the garage for the first time this year. As a warm up for the season ahead, a nice flowing carve on the flowing A413 followed suit, in the company of a few like minded souls that I came across. With progress being made, though no heroics and everyone sensible with cool tarmac, plenty of tractor muck by gates. and post winter gravel down the crown, the pleasure reminded me why I ride.
Anyway, I degress.
Return route took me down the A41 towards Aylesbury, where an obligatory pit stop at On Yer Bike was made.
It was there that love at first site happened.
A beautiful, sumptuous, gleaming MV Agusta Brutale. Wonderful curves, nips and tucks for the right reasons, and an engine made in Heaven. Sure, she'd be high maintenance, but with the luxury of a nice bonus arriving in the bank yesterday...
God, was it tempting.
Unfortunately, I'm a coward, and after half an hour in deep thought I came back to my mistress without a word, and will give her the customary post-ride polish up with usual tender care. My First Love will never know how close I came, either...
|
Dear SJB,
From the tone of your letter it is obvious your relationship is in serious trouble. You have to ask yourself, what is the point of carrying on in a sham marraige when love and commitment are clearly gone? You have a duty to little Hornet to set her free while she is young enough to find a loving partner who will appreciate her and cherise her as you once did.
Divorce is painful, but when a relationship hits serious trouble it is sometimes the best way forward. Otherwise you will only come to resent her, finding fault with her Oriental looks, critisising her soft smooth performance, even her endearing reliability which once attracted you will become boring.
So be honest with her. Sit her down over a nice tank of unleaded and and explain as gently as you can that your feelings have changed, you feel you have both grown apart and it would be better to go your seperate ways. Be fair to her, let her have custody of the owners handbook, the service records and yes, even The Haynes Manual. Tell her she can move into a nice Honda dealers till she finds the partner you know she deserves.
Many marraiges end in divorce these days, there is no need to feel guilty, it is just one of these things. I recommend reading this years What Bike as a form of counselling to help you over the break up. It has always made me feel better after ending a long term relationship.
Uncle Tom
|
|
Pah - Namby words. Do the Macho thing, run her as bit on the side, keep the two apart and tell them both a pack of lies.
|
|
|
|
Dear SjB:
I am going through something not dissimilar. Ever since I bought the Kawasaki Vulcan at a fire-sale price, Harley1 has been moody and sulks all the time. These past few days for no good reason her gas tap started leaking everywhere, the bulbs in both tail lights blew, the formerly first crank starting has been replaced by a nagging grind until she consents to get out of bed and the vacuum pump in the fuel valve developed a hole in it. In days gone by she never missed a beat nor gave a moment's trouble over 13,000 miles of hard riding, was always cheerful and rarin' to go anywhere.
I have sat down with her and tried numerous times to explain the poor Kawa had nowhere to go, since her partner was posted out of country by his employer at short notice, she is very depressed since the split and her condition is not 100%, and she is only staying with us until we can help her find a new home. Last week week I had all the faults fixed, treated Harley1 to some new tyres, changed her oil and filter, took her for a long run over Easter, but somehow things don't seem quite the same between us. Growlette's Harley2 is more sympathetic, however, and that seems to annoy Harley1 even more, to the extent they now ignore each other.
There's no accounting for bikes, I guess.
|
Thanks for your support, Guys!
Unfortunately, not only am I a coward, but I'm too honest for my own good. I casually dropped the subject in to conversation last night, but the tiddling on my parade was more of a down pour! :-( Seems there won't be a Brutale in the garage just yet! Mind you, she said that about spending nigh on twenty seven grand on the V70, and more recently, on spending 880 Euros on chip tuning it (I didn't need sledgehammer performance, apparently), so there's always a glimmer of hope.
I guess I've got to turn up at the airport for her return on Thursday night clutching a nice bunch of roses. On second thoughts, may be that'd bring suspicion!
Oh well! At least I don't have to break divorce proceedings to the Hornet just yet, and she has another summer to keep the smile on my face.
Good luck with your troubled relationships, G. You know the Vulcan is the imposter really, and there can only be one solution...
|
|
|
|
