The year 1987 saw me finally accepting some responsibility in life, when I bought my first house, and saddled myself with a mortgage. Thus in May 1988, with this cloud of debt hanging over me, it was only right that I went out and bought my first ever brand-new bike.
The Guzzi had turned me onto V-Twins, but I fancied a change. But what to buy next? For some reason I fancied the idea of a Harley. This was prior to the time when Harleys became fashion symbols and rich boy's toys.
Harley dealers in the UK were rarer than rocking horse shit. However, an Italian bike specialist, Moto Vecchia in Dorking, Surrey, were expanding their range beyond Guzzis, Dukes and Cagivas. They were advertising used HDs brought in from Texas. Thus they wouldn't have seen much rain, let alone road-salt. A late 70's iron-head sportster was advertised in one of the bike mags, so I called them and arranged to drop down to see it.
When I arrived, I was told the latest consignment had been delayed at Heathrow (yes they air-freighted them) and had only just arrived. So the bike was in a wooden crate, forks off and still on the back of a truck. It was a bit grubby looking, having been stored some where in the USA for Lord knows how long. Worst of all the tank had taken a dent. I'm sure the workshop would have fixed it fine, given a chance. But seeing the bike in that state didn't really turn me onto it; and I wondered if it was worth the £2995 price tag.
Harley had undergone a management buyout in '81, and then done battle against the Japanese stranglehold. By the late 80's they were only just spreading their wings beyond the US market. And in order to hook people they were offering brand new 883 Spotsters for just £3995.
I had a nose around the showroom, and the salesman came in for the kill. So let me see, for a grand less I could have a ten year-old iron-head, of unknown heritage. Or for under four-grand have a brand-new bike, zero miles, and a full year warranty. And a choice of colour; and to my mind it had to be black.
It didn't take me long to decide. The fact that the dealership were Italian specialists, and gave me a good price on the Guzzi clinched the deal. All I had to do now was wait about a month whilst they got the bike in.
When I collected it is seemed tiny compared to the Guzzi. Riding without a fairing for the first time in 4 years was odd. It had no tacho (so I was over cautious and never really revved it out in the 2½ years). And it had a narrow filler neck on the petrol tank. This was before unleaded was generally available in the UK (though common in the USA).
The handbook said use unleaded only; but you couldn't get it. Moto Vecchia kindly handed the bike over with an egg-cup full of fuel in it (though on a Sportster that's called half a tank-full
). Anyhow, I got down the road to a filling station, and hoverred the fat leaded petrol pump over the little hole. When it was nearly full, the whole-lot blew back in my face. I learned the hard way to fill it gently.
The Sportster did around 12,000 miles in 2½ yrs, got me hooked on Harleys (and I've never recovered). And got me hankering after a Big Twin. But first I had to make some money. Time to sell the Sporty and leave the country.
