WANTED - JR50 rear wheel.

[Motu]

I'm looking for a rear wheel for a JR50 minibike.

People come into my work and see all the bikes,and ask if I work on bikes....sometimes I say I do.So a young kid comes in,he's about 10yrs old,and asks if I can fix bikes,he's obviously in something new to him here,getting his bike fixed.I tell him to bring it down and I'll have a look and see what we can do - so it turns up,not a bad JT50....some cuzzies borrowed it,and now it has no rear wheel...the backing plate and axle are there,just no rear wheel.They either had a flat,or more likely a big kid or adult was on it and bent the spokes - so the wheel is most likely in some shop somewhere missing an owner....I have the bike.

So my little friend is hoping I'm gunna pull something out of the hat for him - I really want to see him on his bike,it's a big disapointment to have a bike that doesn't go.I've done the Yellow Pages,some other leads,now I am stuck....

[Motu]

I have finally achieved success,but I think I have disapointed a little boy.

I couldn't find a rear wheel,and told him to try and get the wheel,I'd see what I could do.Finally he brought in the wheel,and as I expected all the spokes were mangled.but the rest of it looked in good shape.So I got a part set of spokes from Colemans,6 missing,but managed to salvage some from the bent ones.It's a long time since I've laced a wheel,but it all went together well and runs fairly true - I can't really get it any better as the rim is not straight either,but it's a kids off road bike,he's not going to be doing 100kph.

I have been under real pressure at work lately,and it's my own jobs that have been falling behind.Now that I live out of the city I don't work after hours anymore - that's when I used to do jobs like this,half an hour after work is like 3 days of work time.He was going on holiday on tues so I got it all together on monday night....but he didn't come in on tues morning....I've let my little man down and feel bad about that,he was counting on me.

It fired first kick,but as it warmed started to run worse,so stripped and cleaned the carb,changed the gearbox oil,sorted oil feeds and welded and strengthend the seat /guard,now she runs sweet....I guess I'll see him after the holidays - anyway,I bet the cuzzies woulda borrowed it again,it's better off here away from more harm.

[Sniper]

Well done Motu. Its people like you who are pillars of society.

[Motu]

For the last couple of weeks we have had one deleriously happy 11 yr old,he comes into work after school - ''Can I go for a ride,can I go for a ride huh?'' So he buzzes around the yard,scoots up the road on the footpath to show his Mum,his school mates come in and are green eyed with envy.Everyone who comes in to pick up their car coments about what a happy guy he is....I feel a faint thawing of an icy heart....

They had the money to pay for it ($233 to respoke a wheel,fit a new tube,plastic weld guard,clean carb,fill with oil and fuel) but his father blew all the money in the pokey machines.Today was the big day,dad was gunna pay for,he really was...he rung and rung his father....while we waited I got our PeeWee going and we hooned around,I did some burnouts,donuts and wheelies to impress on this kid that I am one hell of a rider.

Finally dad shows up and grudgingly forks out the money,and he's not going to put the bike in the back of the Terrano,he has to ride it home in the rain.The guy needs half a brick to the back of his head....

Sometimes I enjoys my job - but it's a long road to being a millionare at this rate....