Comes a Time
I received an email from a friend recently which sent me into a state of shock. He informed me that he had just sold off most of his collection of motorcycles. Wow, I thought (I don’t know about everyone else but) selling my pride and joys is pretty close to selling off my children. Yes, I have thought about the day I won’t be able to ride anymore (very briefly as I prefer not to) and I too will need to decide what to do with my babies. Now that I suffer some of the ailments of “maturity” I have developed and constantly recite a saying, “It won’t beat me, it just slows me down”. I do intend to keep fighting to continue riding for as long as I can, but as Neil Young sang, “Comes a Time”. Coincidently, the author of the shock news is also a Neill and even though the spelling is different, he sang me the same song. Neill wrote that he could no longer give the attention to all his motorcycles that they deserve. Batteries need charging, tyres need air and they all need to get out on the road every now and then to stretch their chains.
Neill’s time had come and I give him credit for thinking of the bikes more than himself. Yes Neill’s collection was sizable but most of them were bikes I dream about and they would have been hard for me to part with. Now Neill might not have been born to Italian parents but his love of Italian bikes was the theme of his collection. He visits Italy regularly and rarely misses the annual Italian MotoGiro where an Italian family or two have pretty much adopted him. I see Neill regularly at the Australian MotoGiro, in fact that is where I met him. Neill’s surname is Green and in keeping with the Italian theme the heading on his email read “The ‘Verde’ collection moves to a museum” – ‘Verde’ appropriately translates to Green. The collection included 18 motorcycles and one 1946 Cucciolo engine on a stand. The list of motorcycles include a: 1953 Gilera Saturno ‘San Remo’, 1955 Parilla 175 ‘Turismo’, 1959 Parilla 175 ‘Sport Special’, 1960’s Ducati 250 Narrow case Race bike, 1970 Ducati 450 Race bike (ex Mario Sassi), 1970’s Aermacchi Ala Doro (Replica), 1970’s Aermacchi Ala Doro, 1971 Ducati 250 Widecase Race bike, 1971 Benelli 250 ‘Sport Special’, 1973 Aermacchi SX350, 1973 Aermacchi SS350, 1973 Moto Guzzi Stornello, 1974 Ducati 450 Mark 3, 1974 Ducati 450 Mark 3 Desmo, 1992 Ducati 907ie, 2000 Aprilia Moto 6.5 Stark, 2001 Ducati MH900 Evolutione, 2006 Ducati Paul Smart LE. 3:30 the next morning I awoke suddenly, haunted by Neill’s news. I lay there with my mind racing. Firstly I thought it sad, then I pondered what I will do when the time comes and then I thought I needed to write a story. In the twilight I even resolved a title for the story.
Thankfully Neill still has a couple of projects, a Aermacchi ‘Special’ and a Aermacchi Metisse and for regular rides a new Ducati Scrambler ‘FT’, Ducati 848 and a Moto Giro eligible Ducati SCR Mototrans. I will see him in August for the Aussie Giro so all is not lost. The other good news is that the collection will be on public display at the Gosford Classic Car Museum. I did suggest that Neill get in touch with the owner to get him to change the name and incorporate the word ‘Motorcycle’. The museum is located in an ex-Bunnings warehouse in Mann’s Road and is due to open in early April 2016. In conclusion, I’d like to wish everyone as many years of enjoying, maintaining and riding your motorcycles. Just take heed of what Neill did when we all face the inevitable and choose a suitable custodian who you know in your heart will look after your children when you no longer can. Gaven Dall’Osto Aspley, Qld