Bubbles 2.0: The Sequel

So a few months ago I bought the first KTM 125 SX 2013 in the country. I was overjoyed, like a kid on Christmas morning. She arrived home in her box and my roomie who’s the KTM mechanic put her together under my watchful eye. She was my pride and joy and my new baby. The bike was gorgeous, all sleek lines and shiny stuff. So that Sunday we all piled in to the car to go and run her in. Although bought for FMX she would be introduced to the MX track first, I had to run her in after all. I have never gelled with a bike so quickly and boy did I fall head over heels in love with her. After 2 rides I was able to have her run in service and one more test on the mx track to check and then to the compound.

 

But on the test ride on the Saturday her accelerator stuck open. Not to unusual, cables often get caught when going round corners, its happened on my bikes before. What was unusual was when I went to go jump her (in a straight line) she did it again, making me over jump a 20m table top by 6m. Never a good thing when you stuck in mid-air and you have time to think about how bad it’s going to end, have a mani-pedi and read the whole shades of grey trilogy. But somehow I survived it, and increased my intake of alcohol that evening. So for check-up number 2 on her. And back to the mx track for some testing. Needless to say it ended badly with me lying on the ground, screaming bloody murder when the accelerator stuck open and she decided to try flip. Poor Bubbles was now not only sick, but injured. So she went to the bike hospital where everything was changed to brand new parts. Should be sorted right? Um no. 2 weeks later after the warranty claim and I could walk again, her accelerator stuck once again! Yes, no one else believed me either! So off to a new mechanic who went through EVERYTHING. So now it definitely had to work, right? 4 mechanics, 8 weeks of problems, new parts and nothing wrong with her. Um nope, yet again the poltergeist came through. Firstly she stuck once again on a jump, but no one saw it so no one believed me. But then she finally decided an audience was needed and her accelerator stuck open and I got to ride an entire corner flat out without my hand on the handle bar. But this did two things. Prove to people I have not lost my mind but Bubble really is possessed and I am a lot slower than my bike thinks I am.

So now the conundrum. Having bought Bubbles because Thumper my previous bike was giving me trouble, I know had trouble kid number 2. I wanted to jump her but didn’t trust her as far as I could throw her (which as proved by the crash, pretty far)? So I spoke to RAD moto where I got the little terrorist and nicely asked if I could get a bike that worked. RAD came through massively, trading in Bubbles for Bubbles 2.0, the sequel. I was ridiculously impressed by their service, they made sure the bike was ready, working overtime with even the DP helping assemble the bike. Back to over excited kid. And off to the MX track with her. As gorgeous and as lovely to ride as her predecessor. I took her through the paces, no cute gentle run in for her, no, I wanted her to scream and if there was any issues I wanted to know about it, right then and there. But this Bubble is a happy well-adjusted kid, loving the jumps, drifted into corners, railing berms and giving me the power I want. I left the track with a giant smile, exhausted and happy.

A big thank you to RAD Moto, Dave, Loodt, Mike, Ian and everyone else from there. My dream is back on track because you all went above and beyond the call of duty, there are no words. But the next round at the pub is on me!!!!