Good morning and welcome back! Today is a bit of a frustrating one, but it’s a lesson learned. I’m out walking with my helmet and a bag of spare parts because I’m finally going to pick up my motorbike. When Jessa and I bought our car, we lent the bike to her brother in the city. They promised to take good care of it, but let’s just say it came back in "parts."
I’m pretty heartbroken, to be honest. I take a lot of pride in looking after my things, and seeing the bike in this state is tough. It looks like it’s been severely abused. The oil was supposedly changed, but the filter never was—that’s a huge no-no. The brakes are messed up, the speedometer wire is snapped, and even the metal footrest and side stand are completely gone. You don't just "lose" those parts; that usually only happens if you’ve had an accident. I’m fairly certain there was a crash they aren't telling me about. Because of this, nobody—and I mean nobody—is ever borrowing my stuff again. It’s a natural consequence of not treating my property with respect.
I’m taking the bus down to Ginatilan today to meet Jessa’s brothers. I managed to find a bus driver who thinks he’s in a race, which is always a "fun" experience on these old buses. Once we meet up, we’re heading straight to a local welder. We have to start there because some bolts are actually snapped off and stuck inside the frame.
I wanted to show you all how they handle these kinds of repairs "local style" here in the Philippines. It’s fascinating to watch the skill of the local welders as they work to extract those bolts and get the frame back into shape. While he worked, I had a bit of time to look over the rest of the bike. I’ve decided to change the brake shoes—both front and back—and I’m also getting a new rear tire.
Now, the tire actually has about half its life left, but there’s a method to my madness. My family here tends to drive tires until they literally blow up, which is incredibly dangerous. So, my strategy is to buy new tires for myself a bit early and give my half-used ones to them. That way, they’re driving on reasonable, safe rubber instead of something that’s about to pop. It’s a small expense for me that makes a huge difference in their safety.
Once the welding was done and the new parts were on, I spent some time adjusting the brakes and the gear shifter to exactly how I like them. It’s a great feeling to have my bike back under my control. It’s been a long time coming, and Jessa and I finally have the means to get it back into top condition.
I’m driving the bike home now, and I have to say, it feels good to be back on two wheels. I had planned to give it a proper wash and get that tire swapped today, but I think that’s going to have to wait for another time.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!
