by Bert Meinders

Created on: June 27, 2009   Last Updated: July 09, 2009

The pain between my shoulderblades was just intense enough not to be ignored.. I'd just been to visit my sister who lived near Huntly, about 535 kilometres from home. These days it doesn't seem all that far, but in the Spring of 1976 I had a Honda CB175. Even allowing for my own light weight and compact dimensions (you'd never believe I'm Dutch) it was not a particularly suitable mount for such a long journey. I tried to rationalise that a Ducati 750 Sport would have given me the same pain and that it would have used more fuel and probably need a bit of roadside R & R at some point but I didn't fool anybody, not even me. The problem was absurdly simple, really. Low, narrow handlebars and a bikini fairing looked sporting but forced me into a foetal crouch. If I used wider bars and sat upright, the restricted effective speed range of the engine meant that I'd be down to third gear in even a slight headwind.

The problem was not my body (no one calls me deformed - unless he's a specialist), which was, and still is, well-formed and firmly muscled and pleasingly proportioned. The problem wasn't the bike either. Used as Honda intended, the CB175 was economical, reliable and fun. The problem was that it was my only transport at a time when I covered a lot of distance. Its small engine and high specific output meant that it had very little torque and most of that was at or over 7000 rpm. That meant a lot of gear changing, a lot of throttle and frequent stops en route because the tank went on to reserve after just 85 miles, reinforced by the uncomfortable seat. The engine got very hot on the highway, so I had to check the oil level at every second fuel stop because the sump was tiny. Briefly, I'd bought the wrong motorcycle. I actually bought it en route to my sister, when the alternator on my Triumph Tiger Cub burnt out. Yes, I agree, the Cub wasn't the right bike either although it had a good seat and the 3 gallon tank gave it a highway range of about 270 miles in theory. In practice it never ran all the way to empty without breaking down.

The bigger Japanese bikes at that time, at least those I could afford to think about, tended to be thirsty and had a reputation for dubious handling and speed-wobbles. British bikes were cheaper and handled well, but so many thieves were stealing them to order that they were uninsurable. General use, commuting and trips up to 700 kilometres, day or night and in all weather..... a BMW was the answer. Or would have been if I'd

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