When my first CB550 was stolen from outside of my flat back in February 1979 I was a bit down. While at a friend's party my brother suggested that we ride down to Hastings for a laugh...at 11pm at night. Thinking that he would back out as soon as I said yes, I got my jacket on & walked towards the door, telling him to get his keys ready. At this time the M25 was still being built around the Sevenoaks turn off, so he rode a bit gingerly due to patches of ice. Having got down to the Little Eater/Happy Chef on the A21 near Flimwell we swapped places. Now the lights on his XL250K3 were not good at the best of times, & on this dark night they were no better...how we got down to the coast I do not know. The place was dead, so we turned around & headed for home, with me still driving. We got as far back as the M25/A21 roadworks when one of the pillion footpegs fell off. I must admit, at 3am, the sight of my brother walking all doubled up with frozen knees was soooo funny it still makes me smile to remember it now. Having no tools on board, we made the best of remounting the errant footpeg & carried on into Bromley & my flat. I slept until the pubs opened & we made our way to discuss the previous evenings adventure. The problem was that nobody believed that we rode two up all of the way down to the coast & back just for a laugh.
Those were the days...I wouldn't do it again.
