Story #7, by Pierre Gariepy

1974 were my first year of control motor bike of all my life and with this T120R

The first day that I led it it was in an area moved back of Quebec spring on forest roads strewn with snow, ice, mud. I was with a half dozen my friends also driving English motor bikes having more years of experiment of control motor bike. However without knowknowing too much why I put to make controlled skid dirt-track kind with a disconcerting facility. In skid, I had fun to dirty my mud buddies by exceeding them with sharp pace and nobody was able to catch up with me.

In 1974 I always rolled at the max with this Triumph, always between 100 and 120mph. At the time one afternoon I made twice the trip Quebec Montreal Quebec in less than 6 hours. As all the young people of my time I liked also the burn-out and wheelies with this motor bike. At the time of this same year I had well on some accidents considering my impulsiveness of control. I have scrape a car while sinking to 60 mph in full center on the right side of the car, only my fork was twisted, then I rectified it by knocking it on a post of telephone and I could return to the house on his capacity. Another time considering that I did not have of brake before and which I were a little drunk, I made laugh my buddies while assembling the left foot in the airs to slow down on a car opposite me, the problem is that it was Beetle Volks and I tore off the back stop of this car by doing that. I also tried out what means to roll on new tires by not paying attention on a wet road, in an exit of motorway I took the turn a little too quickly to find myself on the back slipping on asphalt with the motor bike on the belly. It pushed me on a distance of 100 feet to hardly pass very close to the edge of cement street which awaited me to tear off me the shoulder, finally the slip decreased speed enough so that I skin myself the shoulder partially and I could rectify the motor bike and continue my walk, on the other hand my back was very blooded, a passer by suggested me taking me along to the hospital but all was healed rather quickly so that I can continue my occupations. I never carried leather jacket, always with a simple shirt of flannel or a tee-shirt, or simple winter coat during the winter.

During this year I acquired 6 accident reports of which the half was in fault. I was by chance assured at the time of this year.

In 1975 at the time of the strike of the bus drivers of the public transport of Quebec, I did not have the choice to lead my Triumph during all of winter considering it was my only means of transport and I could refine my reflexes on the frozen and covered with snow roads. I installed tires trial to facilitate control. I liked to roll at any speed in the paths of motor bike-snow by paying attention to remain in the medium of the path for not caller in the softer snow of the edge of the path, bus then I were for a good 30 minutes of shovelling to manage to replace it on the path. At the time of the snowstorms I took pleasure of walking me to more than 60 mph on the snow-covered ways of Quebec, passing the trucks which made the maintenance of the roads sink some on snow leaving their shovel with snow. I also adored to make ball of snow while dancing on the road with the motor bike between the cars which seemed to be afraid to run in snow. When the road was frozen too much I rolled on the roadside to assemble the coasts and thus to find a surface rather firm in snow to advance the motor bike and once in top of the coast I continued my control dancing in the medium of the road.

From 1975 to 1977 no insurance company motor bike wanted to ensure me considering the many accidents of the year 1974. The new mode of insurance of 1977 in Quebec enabled me to ensure my motor bike again.

From 1976 and up to 1996 I could improve my control except road and in the sand dunes of more than 100 feet height with my Triumph. Sometimes I allowed myself to cross small brooks whose level was in bottom of 2 feet height. I had installed tires of MotoCross kind 500x18 to the back and 400x19 with before climbing with facility the various dunes of Quebec. The sound of my Triumph in this kind of ground was pleasure to hear. I also did a little jump kind " The Great Escape " of Steve McQueen and I did not have anything to envy to him. I easily made a jump of a distance of 60 feet length on 20 feet the top in my best, on the unstable ground of sand dunes of Ste Thérèse in Quebec, without the facilities of springboard and of beautiful road starting like could know Evel Knievel, I did all that in wild grounds arranged at all for that.

In all I have ten accidents and a hundred unload fall to my credit with this Triumph, I twice have scrap the back frame, to change handlebar about thirty times, to reassemble the engine ten time, completely destroyed the motor bike four times to make it reappear his ashes thereafter. I have seriously damaged myself the spinal column in 1996 to gently take again my forces for one year or two. I do a little rheumatism in the hands and the feet. At present I feel into relative good physical form, but I will not re demolish my Triumph for fifth once, I find it enough beautiful for all that I could do to him to undergo at the time of my youths. On the other hand I have the idea to install a turbo kind Garrett GT1241 to him.

The film of Burt Munroe has to light me again :-)

Pierre Gariepy

http://transgarp.dyndns.org/Motorcycle/