MY TRIKE

 LIFE WITH A NIPPI

It's an't fucking dull!

I first saw a Nippi 10 years ago at a mobility show. I felt sure I could adapt one to suite me, which I did. My first Nippi was a 2-stroke 50cc. Having driven at 4mph in my wheelchair all my life, hitting 20mph in the Nippi was a bit scary.  After a year I bought a new Nippi, a 125, 4 stroke. This was more of a motorbike. I became more independent and became a biker.

 I use the Nippi for all my transport; I ride it all through the year. Rain, snow, wind and sometimes sun, if I’m lucky!! Riding in the open air keeps you alive I think. You get waved at, the thumbs up or the ‘bikers nod of respect’ by other bikers on the road. Car drivers just stare at you and cut you up! (Well that’s car drivers for you, in their tin boxes with the heater on!!)

 In the winter I don’t travel far. But when April gets here my diary gets full for farther a field trips. I like to go to bike rallies, so I load my camping gear on the back of my wheelchair then hit the road with some biking mates. At rallies I get a lot of respect and the Nippi gets a lot of attention.

  The furthest I took the Nippi was to Holland, we hit Amsterdam in the rush hour, which was a mad one!

 I now own a 180cc Nippi. I needed one! The old one was 5 years old and it had done 27,000 miles. I think that’s a record for a Nippi!! The New Nippi is quick! I hit 80mph on the A34 the other day! And I beat a Porsche off the traffic lights yesterday; I saw the face of the driver disappearing in my mirror, he wasn’t happy!!!