READY TO RUMBLE

Chalky Spears from Chalky’s Old Skool Garage was brought to tears last week when he was reunited with a 1930s motorcycle which he sold during tough times more than 27 years ago.

The well-known Busselton mechanic never thought he would see the 1937 BSA M20 motorbike again and often reminisced about the good times he had when he owned the bike, which he fondly calls “The Beesa”.

“I sold it to a 17-year-old local boy who was an apprentice mechanic in 1992”, Mr Spears said.

“He’d only ridden the bike twice and he never paid the registration and it had been sitting in his hay shed ever since.”

Last Friday, Mr Spears was offered his bike back and said it was in “exceptional condition”.

“I had tears in my eyes,” he said.

“I couldn’t believe it. It was so surreal — you can’t explain the feelings I had.”

Mr Spears said in 1990 he registered the bike and rode it for two years, proposing to his wife on the back of it in 1991, who also went into labour on it.

The motorbike, which was used in Australia during World War II, was khaki before Mr Spears repainted it in the 1990s. “I got it back and spent about an hour-and-a-half cleaning the fuel system out and getting the spark back and then I kicked it and it started first kick,” he said.

Mr Spears got $3750 when he sold the bike. He bought it back for $5000.