R1000K3. This was probably my most surreal riding experience, wheelies on a superbike on pot-holed, sand strewn road in West Africa. After a few runs of stand up wheelies and rolling stoppies a small, vocal crowd had started to gather, which got the local riders concerned the police would turn up and‘ fine’ us for causing a scene, so we got back on our bikes and carried on towards Eleko Beach for a few beers in the sun. The parking facilities were decidedly dodgy. Local kids provided coconut husks to support side-stands and coconut palm trees provided handy leaning posts; as long as a coconut didn’ t drop and dent your bike.
TWO AK47S AND A PUMP ACTION In town later that afternoon, after a slightly less frantic ride back, I was filling the car up with fuel, having experienced huge hospitality from the Lagos bikers. This was when the serious, darker, more infamous side of Nigeria bit. It was the eve of a fuel strike by the Labour Union and the petrol station was packed with locals filling up with fuel, when three police ran into the middle of the forecourt armed with two AK47s and a pump action shotgun. I wondered who they were after and what the poor bastards
had done. The penny only dropped when the attendant with the cash bolted into the bushes and one of the cops screamed he’ d shoot him if he didn’ t stop. It was a robbery. But that’ s a story for another time …
76 KIWI RIDER