Awaken the beast!

[Exmoor beast]

Tidying the garage I cleared a path to get to my Guzzi 1000s. I think it’s been stood on a roller dolly at the back since 2023..appalling I know.
I appear to have drained the carbs prior to lay up, so I thought I’d try to start it- bugger me if if it didn’t fire up instantly ! So I thought I’d pop out for a shake down run to make sure he’s all hunky dory. Now prior to this, the other week I’d tried the start button and nothing, dirty button I thought - I’ll sort that later…
I’ve gone off down some lanes, bikes running beautifully, gradually warming the motor up - weather is perfect. I normally do a few miles and stop to check there are no leaks, nothing hanging off etc so I’m looking for a pull in and glide to stop but I’ve taken the lying neutral light on it’s word and stalled it. Quick check over and all is good but the starter button is silent- muck around with ignition switch, on - off a few times, press, press,press …nothing. I’ve owned the bike 33 years and never had to bump start it, until today..on a flat road. I pushed him to the other side of the road, selected second and started running, hop, skid, run, hop Brum, Brum! Feeling like a slightly knackered Mike Hailwood I shot off towards home. I can only explain this new found talent by my more recent Lambretta ownership- I’ve pushed that a few miles..never thought it would come in handy. Better clean the switch now…

 

[Andy J]

You’re welcome to come and push start a few of mine…

 

[Exmoor beast]

You’re welcome to come and push start a few of mine…

Those old Zane’s need a defibrillator not a bump start!

 

[chrisk]

In my Speedway days on a practice night one our guys was having problems starting his very pretty Weslake. His mechanic had been working on it in the pits, a deemed it ready to fire. It was pushed onto the track hand pushed for about half the track.

The mechanic was buggered, so the owner ran beside it, (cutout lanyard hanging free) jumping on side saddle and dumping the clutch. On about the second attempt it fired and took off at 100mph! Which threw the sidesaddle rider off and the bike continued on by itself slamming into the fence, across the infield and almost headfirst into the fence on the other side of the frack! Hilarious to watch.

Pretty well fucked everything….. turned out the carby top had only been done up a tad and had come undone during the pushing, as the spring and cap were hanging out the top of the carby of the very broken bike.

The joke for months after whenever it was started, was, people yelling out “Give it more throttle”