This has been some journey. The Cosmic Shaft was an old BMW R60 that I rode as a student in the early 1970s. It was a time of rebellion and rage in South Africa as the old regime came under increasing pessure from within and without to abandon apartheid. The 70s white boys were conscripted and put in the front line, the panicking Government tried to silence its critics with increasing force, and paranoia and spies abounded. It was the climate of tension that made everything vibrantly exciting and fearful. Loyalties were made and betrayed, the protesting voices were often quelled with whips and guns but history was being made every day. And in this vast troubled country it was often necessary to seek some solace in in its far-flung corners. The Cosmic Shaft allowed this to happen for me.The old BeeEmm took me all over southern Africa, allowed me to get around reasonably cheaply and taught me a whole lot about mechanical maintenance. It wasn't particularly glamorous or fast, but it took me places that I might otherwise never have seen and made me many friends. In some ways it was a machine that defined my future. My identity became inextricably bound with motorcycles and motorcycling. The Cosmic Shaft made me a biker. The name was emblazoned on the back of my black leather jacket festooned with badges, which became my hallmark uniform wherever I went.
So here we are at the start of another journey. As usual there's no fixed plan or destination. I just want to see where the road takes us ...
