Kia Ora Guys and Gals from the (Bloody) hot Middle East desert Island of Bahrain!
For someone who expected to be totally deprived of motorcycling during my stint here in the Gulf, I've had a pretty good run:
- I got my butt to the Milan Bike Show
- I got to meet John Bloor (Mr Triumph) and his Chairman at the Bahrain leg of the Formula 1
- I got to see the Doha leg of the MotoGP in Qatar
......and now I've landed myself with a job (until now have been the pool boy) with the country's Yamaha Dealer as Sales Manager!
As opposed to a bike shop as such, its more a collection of bikes in their marine shop - they were the 1st Yammie outboard dealer outside Japan (1960).
The salary isn't the most I've earn't in my life and the hours are a bit sucky, but I DO appreciate the R1 "company car" and the fact that Bahrain is Tax Free!
Most importantly the GM is passionate about bikes and has a vision of opening a SuperStore here with 2 other brands they have secured - OCC (Orange County Choppers) and Indian Motorcycles! I love the way he thinks.
And I LOVE dealing with the bikes, eg, what shall we order this month.....hmmmmmmmm
The other side of the coin it is getting unbelievably (Unless you've been here, like Quasi) HOT.
I delivered an R1 Courtesy bike to a client this morning in circa 40C temps and despite wearing a 'cool collar' I was baking - picture a rolling road in front of an oven!
The company is honouring an earlier arranement for a vacation back in NZ for Aug/Sept, so the temps are gonna be a bit of a contrast when I roll up to the Cold Kiwi on the Pan Euro in Sept.
After a year here, I expect the cold to be a novelty --- for a day or 2 at least.
Am looking forward to a decent pie and some Tui.
See you at The Kiwi!
Shafty
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