Getting on was fun because Bob's knees aren't all that good and he brought along The Bandit another Trike owner, who has one arm missing, to help lift me into the back seat. 

Well we made it with much grunting and swearing and off we went. Me with my black helmet and Poncho and a mean look on  my face.

For the next four hours we were gawked at, girls begged us for a ride and guys gave us the thumbs up, and all because I had that mean bikie look on my face. 

The thing was really comfortable and safe in the back seat and even though my balance is rats shit I was able to sit there like a sack of spuds with my hands in my pockets and my left foot planted somewhere while we cruised down the coast and into the city popping the odd wheelie. We got back four hours later.

Later on when I was out of Hospital and feeling a bit better I was over Bob's place talking about getting my own Trike.

So here I am talking to Bob about the Trike during a drink and dream session. (booze and bullshit) "I'll have one with a V8" I suggested around the second hour. And a few drinks later. "If I can't have that I want a worked Harley motor". After a  few more drinks we were dribbling about a VW motor.

Sometime during the next hour I was convinced that a VW is nearly a Porsche - right!. Now you have to realize that Ding Bob and I don't mind a bit of  horsepower usually in V8 form (there was the time when Bob was driving my dads Customline down the freeway - that's another story) but as we were solving the problems of the world we began to discuss the ever present problem of how to make a trike rideable.

This was fairly important given that my balance was pretty poor. I even manage to fall out of my wheelchair at times, not to mention the car. 

So I was sold. It was to be a VW engined trike (which is nearly a Porsche - Right!) and as it was pointed out, if it ever broke down I could call in the RAC to fix it on the side of the road.

The next problem was whether I could drive/steer the thing to the point where I could get a license to ride the thing. We knew we could get the trike licensed because Bob has had so many go through but you require a big bike licence for a Trike in Western Australia, though they will let you bypass that if it is obvious that you aren't able to ride a bike.

Bob had the VW single rear seater Demo trike ready but as my legs didn't work and to make things even worse, my right one wasn't there anyway, the question of how I was going to stop the thing given that the brake was foot operated and on the right side, came up.

	The front brake on the bar but that wasn't going to do the whole stopping thing. So while I was pondering Bob grabbed a length of steel bar and a bit of hollow steel and welded the two pieces together. The hollow bit fitted over the brake and he could push the pedal from the back seat. Problem fixed.
Bob on the back and away we go. *Note brake handle from Bobs right hand to the foot brake. Photo was taken on the 14th December 2001.

Getting on the Trike seat was easier than getting into the car for me so no problem there. Balance was surprisingly good because I had the handle bars and a nice seat with a back support to help. My left foot sat safely on the running boards. Brake person on the back, start it up first touch, ease the throttle open and we were off down the paddock.

Turn right, left with no problem. Open her up, lovely, nice and quick. Comfortable. Great sound as well. There was no way that I was going to get off before we ran out of petrol so we just kept on going. Round and around.

continued Trike 2