THE GS850 1979 Suzuki is a classic motorbike and very rare to find in a good condition.
Therefore when Empangeni fanatic bike collector Vaughn Renou-Rutherford (54) heard of one on sale, he swiftly made a bid to purchase this mean machine.
However this classic had been in a major accident and needed some attention before it could finally hit the road again.
For Vaughn, the intention was to repair it and add this ‘new baby’ to his already growing bike collection.
He spent over R6 000 and a week of sleepless nights repairing it to its original state; but when he finally took it to the road on Saturday night, his dream went up in smoke.
Within minutes after he started cruising down Robin Street with his friend Vaughn had the fright of his life when this long-term dream burst into flames.
He watched helplessly as his prize possession was engulfed.
However, kind neighbours came to his rescue and saved what was left of the bike by extinguishing the fire using sand and buckets of water.
‘We were fortunate no one was seriously injured. Flames barely touched us – only my one hand felt the fire and even now it’s like nothing happened,’ said Vaughn.
‘I’m not sure what happened, if it was a cable connection or petrol leak.’
Even though Vaughn’s love for bikes could have cost him his life, he says he will soon start rebuilding it – a Christmas present to himself.
‘It will cost me more than R10 000 now, but I will redo it and hopefully before Christmas it will be fixed without any problems,’ he said.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
Instagram – zululand_observer
