“It should have a robust and noble name, but I call it
‘bike’,” Jacqui grins. It doesn’t need a name to witness
her love, it’s there as anyone in Jacqui’s presence bears
witness. Criticise Jacqui’s bike and she jumps to its de-
fence like a loving parent.
Jacqui knows her Enfield is rough, old in design … still
running drum brakes amongst many other 1950s fea-
tures. Astonishingly, Jacqui has made no real modifica-
tions to her Enfield however, someone once did attach a
plastic dinosaur to the bike while in Ireland … perhaps a
statement to the look and technology of the bike.
“It’s scruffy and battered and looks older than its 19
years but it has had a hard life,” Jacqui laughs again.
“We love going off road. It’s been dropped dozens of
times and has been in several accidents, plunged into
pot-holes covered by bulldust, almost shaken to death on
rocky roads in Cambodia and Pakistan, corrugations in
the Northern Territory and Queensland, through rivers
in India and narrowly escaped being used as a boat an-
chor in Colombia.”
It matters little as Jacqui points out that the Enfield
has taken to special locations, experiences and adven-
tures.
“Reassembling and riding it away from the boat and
skipper who threatened to kill me,” is an experience that
Jacqui gets excited about. It’s when a special bond was
TRAVERSE 38