One Way Out: Scout Ledger Thriller by Elleby Harper

Author:Elleby Harper [Harper, Elleby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-09-17T22:00:00+00:00

8

Gene’s Ducati 750 GT looked like a brand new machine. She wouldn’t have recognized it from the completely disassembled bike he had purchased. There was no doubt he had done a superb job with the final engine rebuild. When she was helping out in the garage he had begun developing a network of connections to source the parts he needed from Canada to California, even Europe and Australia.

The electronic ignition he had incorporated kicked over immediately. Ledger relished the sweet, full-throated growl exiting the Conti exhaust, powered by the four stroke V2 engine. Gene kept the bike at a steady ten miles an hour above the speed limit, skimming past cars as he split lanes up the highway.

Since Ledger had last seen the bike, Gene had splashed out on a new paint job. The gas tank, mud flaps and support struts were royal blue with a silver stripe running on top of the tank, split in two by the fuel cap. Flaunting its new LED headlight and with its engine roaring, Gene cruised along East Burnside Street. CC had recommended they try Ernest’s, a new seafood restaurant that had plenty of great online reviews.

“It sure is a smooth ride, Dad. The engine handles both the high and low revs like a dream,” Ledger said as Gene slotted the bike into a curbside park between the front and rear fenders of two parked vehicles for a spot directly in front of the restaurant.

Gene chuckled. “Better than when this bike originally left the factory floor in Bologna, if I do say so myself,” he agreed. “I rode one of the originals back in the ‘70s and man, I thought then it was a low-steering ride with a somewhat wooden feel, especially for the price tag they sold for here in the States. On this baby the spring valve engine’s really torquey and I can confirm it’s at its best just above four thousand r.p.m. That suits my lazy shifting. And I overcame the stiff clutch lever by using an extended operating lever. It just makes such a terrific touring bike. And better yet it’s just a really feel good ride.”

“I can see you’ve fallen in love with it. I take it if you’re pushing the bike to its speed limits you fixed the brake problem?” Talking shop was Gene’s way of bonding. Her father was physically demonstrative, but not too hot on putting feelings into words.

He nodded. “I changed to Ferodo Platinum brake pads and rebuilt the calipers and master cylinders with new internals and brake lines. It’s cost me plenty. Still if I’d wanted cheap maintenance costs I wouldn’t have picked the 750 GT. Too much engineering complexity for that.”

“Talking of cost, I think CC might’ve given us a bum steer. This place looks decidedly upmarket.”

Ledger had been expecting a mid-range bistro, but through the plate glass window she could see waiters in vests and bowties serving a clientele in cocktail dresses and suits.

“I told CC I wanted to take my daughter to the best restaurant in town.

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