Ngaphandle kokuba ibingengobuchwephesha "i-whooping" ibiyiyo kwaye iyaqhubeka iyimoto eguquguqukayo. Kunokuthiwa isithuthi esisebenza ngezinto ezininzi, ekuqaleni sakhulelwa ngeenjini ezimbini kunye ne-bodyworks emithandathu, eyavumela i-UMM ukuba ingene ngempumelelo kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo iminyaka emininzi.
Ukuqala uhambo lwayo kwimarike yeemoto, i-UMM idale amanqanaba amatsha okusetyenziswa kwezithuthi ezinamavili amane. Ukusuka kukhuphiswano kunye nodumo lwaseParis-Dakar - apho umfundi wesizwe onesibindi wenza umbono olungileyo - ngokusetyenziswa kwabucala, ubuchwephesha kunye nokusetyenziswa kwe-utilitarian, ukuvelisa ngeenjongo zomkhosi, apho nangona "kudala" isasetyenziswa.
Kwakukho izigaba ezingenakubalwa apho le monster yasePortugal yayikhona malunga neminyaka engama-40 yemveliso, ukusuka kwiNkundla ye-UMM yokuqala ukuya kwinguqulelo yamva nje, i-UMM Alter.
Ewe, u-UMM unesibindi ngenene. Kwabo bangazange baqhube enye, yazi ukuba lo mhlobo uthembekileyo, nangona ejongeka njengenqwelo ejijekileyo kwaye engonwabanga njengosathana, uba ngumhlobo wethu osenyongweni kwezo hambo ziyingozi...
Le yenye yeemoto ofunda ukuzithanda kwaye ekuhambeni kwexesha sibona ukuba ihlala iphendula kakuhle. Ithembeke kakhulu, ayinakuphikiswa. Yiba kowona mgangatho uphakamileyo, apho kufuneka uyibeke kwindlela ecothayo njengetrektara (i-reducer), okanye kwindlela yeekhilomitha - nangona icotha kakhulu kwaye inomsindo, ihlala ifika kwindawo yayo.
Ngamanye amaxesha “kuqhelekile” ukuba ungabinayo i-gearbox, okanye ube ne-gearshift esandleni. Wonke umthetho unomkhethe wawo, akunjalo? Akukho nto uhambo oluya kwiworkshop yomhlobo aluyi kusombulula. Abo bahlala nayo (njengam…) bayazi ukuba ekuphela kwento ekufuneka uyenzile kukufaka ibholithi kwibhokisi yegiya kwaye ugqibile. Singahamba enye «imoto» yeekhilomitha ngaphandle kwengxaki.
Yiyo le nto i-UMM iyimoto yasentsomini kwaye ayisoze ilibaleke. Ukuguquguquka okugqithisileyo ngamandla ayo amakhulu. Siyathemba ukuba uhlala esebenzayo iminyaka emininzi kunye ende kwaye ngubani omele abagcine!
TEXT: André Pires (umthandi weklasikhi kunye nomnini owonwabileyo we-UMM)