A topic that often crops up in our lunchtime conversation is whether some people are born with a mechanical bent, or whether it’s acquired later in life. We have never reached a conclusion, but we know that the high petrol price often encourages some individuals to buy motorcycles when it’s clear to their friends and family that they should stay away from a mechanical beast.
Twostep Naude, one of the local dancing teachers, falls into this category. He bought a 125 cm³ Yamaha and every time we saw him on his bike, his precarious riding style marked him as a man who should stick to public transport.
The bike was a second-hand purchase and initially was in a good condition. However, one morning Twostep phoned us for help after the bike developed a rattling noise and refused to move after first gear was engaged.
We sent Japie out with the bakkie and he returned with the bike. He was laughing so much that he could hardly drive properly. According to Japie, “The poor sod kept on adjusting the chain whenever he saw any slack. The result was that the chain had worn all the teeth away on the rear sprocket.”
We gathered around the bike to marvel at the nearly smooth rear sprocket. It did not seem possible that a person could be so insensitive that he is able to ride a bike with a tight chain for long enough to grind away the teeth. (For those of you who don’t know, the tight chain induces a vibration that goes right through your body.)
We had to replace both sprockets and the chain, as well as initiate Twostep into the basics of motorcycle maintenance.