Motorcycle Sport & Leisure Magazine October 2018 Back Issue

Mikko says: “It looks a bit black out, I think you might get a bit wet mate,” as he peered out of his living room window while I started playing with the dog.

“Nah, it’ll be alright. Doesn’t look too bad to me. Besides, I haven’t brought my waterproofs with me because if I get soaked riding home then it doesn’t matter. I’ll just dump the kit in the kitchen and sort it out there.”

“I could probably find a set of waterproofs in the garage if you want to borrow some.”

“Nah, it’ll be fine. Stop worrying about it.”

Therein lies the rub. What I should have done was thank Mikko and the pair of us hobble to his garage, find some waterproofs, put them on and head home.

What I did was get on the Honda, close the vents on my Alpine stars showerproof jacket (because that’s going to make all the difference), say my goodbyes to Mikko who, with a typically stoic Finnish expression, was all skyward looking and worried of face, and I blatted the Honda down the road. I imagine that I looked dashing as I did so.

I certainly didn’t look like a half arsed idiot who was about to virtually drown while upright on a neoretro Honda. Oh no.

Now, you know those special effects bits in a Steven Spielberg movie where the dark, imposing clouds roll in at pace? Usually accompanied by loud thunder claps and flashes of lightning every few seconds Those ones? That’s what faced me...