YOUNG AT HEART
If I look back through the long telescope of time, I can see a skinny guy in an open-face helmet and army surplus clothing, riding a 1964 Panther M120 through the Derbyshire dales, heading from college in Matlock towards home, about 75 miles away. It was always an enjoyable ride, the steady beat of the Panther’s massive single cylinder engine pulsing below. The bike was only eight years old at the time, yet it felt as if it was from the 1930s. It was rough, lumpy and bit truculent, and would kick back with vigour if you didn’t follow the correct starting procedure, but it didn’t leak too badly and was remarkably reliable despite my limited knowledge and understanding of basic maintenance.
The M120 wasn’t my first Panther. As a teenager I’d had a 1950 M100 rigid with Oleomatic forks, which I’d abandoned in Scotland during a rainstorm, only to be summoned to retrieve it by the local police a couple of weeks later. After a succession of scooters and small motorbikes, the M100 was my first ‘big bike’. Despite the abuses I subjected it to, it still holds a special place in my heart.
My affection for the big Panthers never dwindled. Over the years many bikes have caught my eye, and in recent years, as some of you regular readers may have noticed, I’ve had a love affair with multiple Moto Guzzis. But I always thought I would like another Panther.
Adjust that telescope into tighter focus. A few years ago I encountered a Canadian rider – let’s call him Basil – on one of the Guzzi online forums, who happened to have a Panther. You may be amazed to discover that Panthers aren’t a common sight on Canadian roads. Indeed, other than a Panther 250 (M65?) I’d seen
