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Sharon's Shed
Blog Date 27 August 2019
Shedtastic!
Why has Sharon now got a small aircraft hanger in her back garden? Well now chilblains, settle in, get comfortable and I'll tell you all a story.
Once upon a time long long ago a fair maiden decided being on the back of a motorcycle was no longer good enough for her. She wanted her own motorcycle even though she was poor and her legs were too short to reach the floor on anything taller than a toadstool.
In spite of this she's a determined little bugger and eventually she had a shiny new hobbit sized 125. She loved and loved and loved this bike so very very much. Even so she eventually passed her bike test and got a hobbit sized 250. Oh no!! The little hobbit shed that housed the hobbit sized 125 was not big enough to house both the hobbit sized 125 and the hobbit sized 250. Of course most normal, sensible and reasonable people would sell one bike, but not this fair maiden.
Being an artistic hippy type she becomes emotionally attached to anything. When her previous car reached the end of it's useful life and had to be dragged away on the back of a scruffy scrappers truck there were tears. It seems there's no way she can let go of "Zen" the hobbit sized 125. It, he, he has a name, he has a character, he is no longer just a lump of metal, he is a living breathing being.
Even though Zen had become a living breathing being he was still relegated to a "shelter" while the shiny new 250 - now named "Envy" - got to reside in the hobbit shed. (This makes me wonder how quickly I might end up in a cloth shelter if I'm no longer the newest shiniest toy...).
The old shed was now home to the usurper 250.
Meanwhile Zen has to make do with a simple shelter.
Eventually Zen's shelter started to fall apart. Sell Zen? "No, never!!" Many many many (many many...) discussions were had (endured) about garages, gardens, sheds, shelters, motorcycles, tools, ambient conditions, planning permission, finances, living together (me in the shelter...) and even shipping containers. It took a very long time so with all things considered a bigger shed was needed.
The shelter served it's purpose but was now "passed it's best"
Flagging was (badly) laid by Ren. A shed was ordered. We erected the shed with help from friends and family one wet and windy day (NOT a good idea) and after many stern words, some arguments and many injuries (mostly Ren's) Sharon's new 10 foot by 11 foot shed was up.
Shed building in the wind and rain. BAD idea,
And there we have it at last.
Now there is space for both Zen and Envy. There's also space for Ren's bike when he's visiting. There is actually enough space for 4 bikes if everything is lined up nicely but 3 is a comfortable fit.
The old shed? Aaaah gosh darn it. Alas it was too big to go anywhere else. But fear not! Our intrepid, handsome and ingenious hero (me) worked out that the old shed could be shortened and slotted into the space where the old shelter had been. What a genius, what a hero, what a guy!! Unfortunately being shorter the old shed is no longer long enough to house a motorcycle. It now houses garden tools.
The once 6'6" shed is now about 4 foot deep.
So now to round off our story the fair maiden that is Sharon has space aplenty. And everyone lived happily ever after...?
Doubtful. You see now she has additional space I fear it may not be long until Ren's bike is once more back out in the rain when He is visiting. Now she has space what is there to stop her buying another motorcycle(s)? Give a man, no sorry person, give a person space for a bike they'll have a bike. Give a person space for 20 bikes they'll have 20 bikes. Motorcycling is an illness.
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Reader's Comments
Bob said :-
I'm glad I've only got a single garage.
I find that I can't fit more than five motorcycles in there (along with the five pushbikes, lathe, milling machine et al) - if I had more room I'm sure their would be more bikes and I'm trying to cut down.
Looks to me like Sharon's in need of another one....
27/08/2019 20:29:08 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Why would you want to cut down? Is it possible to have too many motorcycles? The correct number is N+1 where N is the number of motorcycles currently owned.
28/08/2019 12:11:04 UTC
Bob said :-
I'm concerned with balancing continuing enjoyment of the bikes I enjoy against the risk of future environmental controls writing off the money invested in them. Sooner or later these petrol burners will be banned.
30/08/2019 08:49:31 UTC
Upt'North said :-
Bob, they already are. Large swathes of cities across Europe and probably other areas already discriminate against older vehicles and in some cases vehicles that can't meet certain emission levels are simply banned. I think the argument against owning classic older vehicles is an interesting one. Does anyone paying £20,000.00 for a Z1 or H2 actually ride them anyway?
I would think they sit in air-conditioned garages/palaces and are just transported from show to show. Very sad, although to each their own; but if the vans that transport them are banned from the roads then who knows.
They might end up being sold off in Charity Shops like unwanted Staffordshire Bone China.
The youf of today may never smell Castrol R. Now that is sad.
Upt'North.
30/08/2019 10:18:04 UTC
Ian Soady said :-
Of course my ES2 is exempt from the London ULEZ..... and the proposed Birmingham LEZ allows bikes of any age after some discussion (and it's delayed now anyway).
30/08/2019 10:24:55 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Yes of course Bob. What's the point in acquiring N+1 motorcycles only to find the only place you can ride them is "private land" and even that may be banned one day. Hmmmm...fair point. I think we're a ways off that then all of a sudden I'll wake up to find I've 2 what were vehicles are now oversize paper weights.
Maybe a battery conversion for the Kwakker 250?
30/08/2019 13:07:59 UTC
Bob said :-
It would be a good candidate.
The Zero Fx is near as damn it the same size and weight as a KLX - problem is it only goes 50 miles between charges.
I deliberately changed my fleet to exclusively post 2007 vehicles so that I don't fall foul of the London ULEZ and similar schemes being rolled out in other cities, now it appears I might have been better off changing to vehicles 40 years old or more!
01/09/2019 18:30:12 UTC
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