The R27 showed up in the stable courtesy of our good friend and artist Christopher Myott. It’s a DeLorean, an underpowered time machine that couldn’t hit 88 mph if my life depended on it. And though the records may show a top speed of 81 mph, I managed to hit 70 and it was reaching. Given that it’s 54 years old and 250 cc, expecting it to do much more than maintain 55 mph is asking a lot, and it did that without complaint. Ultimately, my experience of the bike is more reverence than critique. What it lacks in power and all-around performance, it makes up for with character and charm, which shone through in unexpected ways.
Over time, I began to actually appreciate its overtaxed 18 hp single.…