Well, it has been over two years now that I have been here in Argentina and only recently have I decided that it was time to look at getting some form of transport. There are many options here, from the latest models of bikes and cars to antiques that are still used everyday. I wanted a motorbike.
One of the small Honda DAX bikes that are so plentiful here.
Being the sort of person that likes to be different to the next fella, I decided to look for something a little different when I began looking. There was the Honda DAX which is pretty common around here, and I liked its small size too, but for a bike to ride all over the country it just did not seem enough. The main issue for me was that it would be hard to carry my gear with me if I used something like that.
So after looking around a little, there were some serious sized motorbikes too. Old things made in Brazil or some other country but poorly supported in parts. So this did not seem like a great option either. Besides, I was not sure that I wanted something so ordinary in how it looked. This took me further afield in my searching.
The early B version Siambretta for sale for $2500 USD in Buenos Aires.
Every now and then I caught a glimpse of people riding on a motorbike with two seats that looked like bicycle seats. It was a very unusual looking bike, and not seen often, so I did not know what it was. Then one day I was in Buenos Aires with my friends and discovered this very bike in a fancy showroom. It looked pretty much like what I would want, but finding one was not going to be so easy.
The first thing I did was ask my friends to look out for a bike for me. It was Oscar that came back with news on a Siambretta that I could buy from an old guy in the city. It was similar to this first bike that I had seen in the showroom, except older and unfinished. My visit to the guy's place revealed a graveyard of old bike frames and an old man with an avid interest in fixing and repairing these old bikes. He was the official mechanic for them when they were new and has continued to work on them ever since. This bike however was not the sort of thing that I had in mind, but I learned a lot of valuable information from that meeting.
The Siambretta man that helped me out with lots of information.
The next thing I did was search it out on the web. I had learned that it was a Siambretta, and after a lot of looking, the best website I found was the
Lambretta Club of Great Britain. This then led me on a series of studies, which finally took me to read about the
TV series 2 bikes. These were by far one of the best of the Siambretta bikes that existed, and with their bigger 175cc motor it was sure it would be fine for some serious travelling.
Now being a religious man, I prayed and asked God to help me find one. I finished that prayer believing that I would not need to look for the bike, but that it would find me. I had seen in my mind a cream Siambretta drive into our property with two helmets.
A Siambretta 125cc for sale but still under repair by the Siambretta man.
It was many days later, near the end of the week that this happened. I had already looked in the papers and asked many people but all to no avail. These bikes were hard to find. Then my friend Oscar came to my window and called me. His behaviour was unusual, as he simply walked away quickly. This was very different to how he normally behaved, so I followed him.
Outside was a cream Siambretta motorbike with blue trim. The man had stopped outside our property to ask directions, and when Oscar saw him, he discovered that it was for sale. The price is agreeable and it is the Series 2, 175cc engine that I was wanting. There is even a helmet thrown in with it. I was amazed, and agreed to buy the bike.
The Siambretta that arrived on my doorstep (slightly darker blues and much more used looking).
Now I am in the middle of the paperwork required for purchasing a motorbike here in Argentina. Apart from the normal precautions of checking for incumbrences and ownership, there are a further 9 processes to go through, adding up to a total of $153 pesos, before it is mine. Today we were able to start the process, but because the official offices are only open to the public in the morning, it will be Monday before we can continue with the rest of it.
So I am hoping that sometime before the end of next week I will be the proud owner of a Siambretta scooter.