Page 119 - Motorcycle Trader (February 2020)
P. 119
Roothless
John Rooth
THE LITTLE RED BIKE
When children’s bedtime stories come to life
ey Dad, remember from a wrecker and how the
Ruby Three? Wonder other bikes in the shed would
if she’s still going? We love having a little brother,
H left her out at Darcy’s just like they did – even if he
farm, didn’t we?” wore mummy out.
We were in that incredibly Pat popped in and
happy Sunday night zone. reinforced the lesson, “I
A family sitting around bet your bike’s enjoying
the table yarning after that. Motorbikes love being
dinner for no reason other cleaned. I might have an old
than we enjoy each other’s alternator. I’ll have a look
company. These days, my while you go for lunch.”
kids are grown up and We came back to find Pat
some conversations get riding around the car park.
complicated, but Tommo The kids went ballistic! “Dad,
threw it back a few gears. Joe the little red bike’s going!
was a baby then so it must Can we go for a ride? Please,
have been about 17 years ago. please, please…”
I had a studio in a row of Tom must’ve looked up at me in “Mate,” I said to Pat, who
industrial units behind the that way small boys use to twist knew what we were going
railway line in Wynnum through on the home front,
back then in the glory days their father’s heart strings “You didn’t have to do that.”
of magazines when everyone “Easy,” said my big Pommy
wanted copy and photos. much love. “The alternator that yarn. Maybe because we mate, grinning nearly as
Having gone bust a few years needs re-winding because didn’t have vehicles that got much as Holly and Tom. “It’s
earlier, I was working flat out the ignition segments have traded in like other families, because the kids did such a
to secure some sort of future fused, that’s what stopped it. we had Hilda the fat German good job cleaning it. Bikes
for our little family. Needs money spent to get a girl from Daddy’s youth and know when they’re loved.”
Joe spent a lot of time in roadworthy too...” Ruby One and Two, the ’84 So we loaded the Honda
hospital with his Mum in “Dad,” said Tom, who’d Harleys that were part of the on the trailer and spent the
those early years. It was just turned four, “What’s a family a decade before Holly afternoon putting along
a hard time for all of us, wreckers?” was born. Tom and Holly three-up through the bush.
especially Karen, of course. “That’s where old bikes go used to play in the shed Our first family motorcycle
I was looking after the two when nobody wants them,” when I was rebuilding Ruby adventure and they loved
elder kids in the office one chipped in Holly, “Isn’t it, One. More stories. every minute of it.
day when they saw our bike Dad? Just like in the little red “Dad, are we going to That night Karen chimed in.
mechanic neighbour, Pat, car story.” save the little red bike?” “Your bike will need a name
loading something on his ute. Ah, the little red car story. Tom must’ve looked up at so the other bikes know what
They ran down to say hello. When they were little, I’d me in that way small boys to call her, won’t she?”
“It’s the wreckers for this make up stories to tell the use to twist their father’s The Honda was red, had a
one,” he told them, patting kids in that quiet time before heart strings. I paid Pat the kickstart and a chain drive
the Honda step-thru seat. sleep. The little red car, all wrecker’s price. – things even then I used to
“Pity, but what can you bright and loved and sitting So the kids helped push proudly point out made their
do? The bloke can’t afford on the showroom floor. Then, the little red bike into our dad’s Harleys different from
to repair it.” Steppies were years later, rusting away in shed and followed through the others. Which is how
worth nothing back then. a wrecker’s yard because with a morning’s worth of come that stepthru got called
“What’s wrong with it?” no-one loves it anymore. One enthusiastic polishing. Lot’s ‘Ruby Three’.
I asked, thinking it looked day a couple of teenagers of chat about how this little Motorcycles, creating
pretty good for a dirty little find it, fix it and love it all bike would love being part of quality family memories
ex-postie that hadn’t seen over again. My kids loved our family, how we’d saved it since 1885.
MOTORCYCLE TRADER 117
