By staff

Effie Odlum has been waiting 77 years — but she finally got the ride of her dreams.

“It was just a pleasure,” she said, referring to a Saturday motorbike ride with island knife-maker Seth Burton. “I hope to do it again.”

The last time Odlum — who is 96 years old — rode a motorcycle was in 1929 on the back of her brother-in-law Harold’s bike.

“He took me all over Vancouver,” she recalled. “I’ve had a motorbike kick in my body ever since.”

Odlum ordered a knife for her daughter after seeing one of Burton’s creations used on the television show City Cooks with special guest Ross Allen "Feast Vancouver".

When Burton offered to deliver the knife on his motorcycle, the first thing she said was “Is it a Harley?”

Hearing about Burton’s bike was “just what I ordered,” she added.

Burton arranged to pick her up on his “poor man’s Harley” — a Honda Shadow 750 — Saturday afternoon and drive her from her bridge game at the Legion to her Price Road home.

Quite a crowd gathered outside the Legion to watch Odlum (who won the bridge match) roar off on the bike.

“They thought I’d lost my marbles,” she said.

“Everyone was giggling,” added Burton.

At four-feet-11-inches tall and wearing a leather jacket borrowed from Burton, Odlum said it wasn’t easy getting on the bike.

“They [Burton and Driftwood photographer Derrick Lundy] had to lift me on — I couldn’t get my foot over. But between the two of them, they did it.”

Odlum said her daughter was “petrified.”

“She thought I’d blow off.”

“I made sure I could feel her squeeze me,” said Burton. “She was great; she was no problem at all.”

“It was fantastic,” summed up Odlum.

.........................................................................................

 .........................................