KHH's CX500

(The beast that strolls...)

Well. Where do I start. I borrowed The Beast as ye olde CBR is in for a service. At first I thought 'Whatta mistaka to maka' but then I settled in to its unique charms and rhythm. Charms? Rhythm? I hear you cry - on a CX? He must be mad.

Picture this:

You wake up to a beautiful spring morning. The sun is in the air and you're full of the joys of spring (hehehehe). Your progeny is in a cheerful mood, as is SWMBO. Perfect. Out you stroll into the crisp air and sunshine to tack up your mount.
After 15 minutes the air is turning blue with choice language. But then Life, Igor!, Life! The Beast is Awake! And all is well again.

Reverse out of the bumpy cobbled alleyway onto the warm grey streets of a yorkshire town, bathed in the golden sunshine and serenaded by the chatter of birds long gone from the inner cities. Blip the throttle a few times and we're off. Oh shit, missed the footpegs again. Fumble for the footpegs and snick it up a gear as the roar of the awesome 500 twin at 11k revs in first warns you of imminent warp core meltdown.

Out to the bypass and it's pray as you turn into the flow of traffic. Open the throttle and let the sweet power do they rest.
Aaaaaaaaaah. That's gooooooood. Chugging along the road, singing to oneself, nodding to the other bemused riders, waving legs around, oblivious to the carnage behind you as you have no wing mirrors. Feel the torque reactions as you flow around the corners and open the throttle. Drag race that Golf off the lights and see the fear in his eyes as his pride and joy is seen off by The Beast.

Drop the bike into the big roundabout and be amazed by the magical mystery tour of its random corner line generator. Watch traffic part in front of you as the primal instincts of the people around you equate the roar and random path to a drunken scotsman with a broken bottle in his hand.

As we hit the filtering part of the journey we start to realise that everyone gets as far away from you as possible as they realise that their beautiful £10k motor would be torn to shreds by the dexion luggage rack and protruding 'bits' if they don't. Of course the effect on The Beast would be negligible. It's the iceberg to everyone else's Titanic. But it has the same braking ability and turning circle as the latter.

Arrive at work to much hilarity from biking colleagues. But I brush this off. They haven't experienced the joy that can be derived from this conglomeration of nuts, bolts, rubber things and rust that makes the CX. It's a SOB but by Ged it's fun.