‘Next up is a trip to France’
‘Initially I didn’t think bikes were for me. I got all tense and just couldn’t relax when I rode,” said MCN reader Jacki Kennedy. “However that was years ago when I was in my 20s. In 2006, I saw bikers riding around my local area and thought ‘that looks like fun on a sunny day’ so with the help and encouragement of a few friends, I decided to take my test.”
It may seem odd that riding a bike in her youth in Hawaii wasn’t for her where nowadays in the UK it is, but Jacki is certainly glad she has taken the plunge and gained her full bike licence.
“I started off on a Honda Varadero 125 and then in 2007 passed my full test,” she told MCN.
“After living in the US for a while I returned to the UK and bought a Honda Deauville, but it was too big and heavy for me so I got a CB500, which I kept dropping (once on duck poo) and then went through a Honda Vigor (which I hated), Piaggio MP3 400, Honda Transalp and a few more bikes before a Honda Integra 700 scooter and finally the NC750X.” With the NC’s relaxed riding position and extra performance tempting Jacki after a test ride while waiting for an MoT on the Integra, she is delighted with her purchase. “The NC750X’s centre of gravity is a bit lower than the Transalp and it isn’t overly heavy, meaning I can move it around with confidence,” she said. “It fits me well, too. I wasn’t planning on buying a new bike, but I felt that I could ride an automatic scooter when I am 70, so I may as well have fun with a sportier bike that has gears while I’m still young enough to enjoy it.”
Jacki uses her NC all the time and being retired she isn’t burdened with a daily commute. The Honda escapes the garage for rideouts with an allfemale biker group, a few rallies, sunny rides, trips to bike meets, shopping in Cambridge and just about anything else that can be used as an excuse to take to two wheels instead of the car. Next on the to-do list is a trip to France.
“I think I did about 5000 miles last year,” said Jacki, “which isn’t bad going at all. I’m always looking for an excuse to take the bike because parking can be a nightmare where I live; bikes are just so much more practical. I tend to avoid riding in winter to avoid corrosion when they have treated the roads but a bit of rain doesn’t bother me at all.”
‘They replaced the slipping clutch under warranty’