Two mates from Marlborough, one with Multiple Sclerosis and the other Parkinson's Disease, say rebuilding a classic motorbike from scrap metal was like the "blind leading the wobbly".

Pete Rickerby and Gordon Forshaw started work on the 1973 Yamaha 650 motorcycle in November last year.

The project was a welcome distraction from their illnesses, but also taught them about each other's daily struggles.



Rickerby, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, said rebuilding the entire engine was a gruelling task.



"It did take longer [for us], but not hugely longer," he said. "We had to do things twice occasionally, or Gort [Forshaw] would have a fit, and that'd be it for the day. I didn't know a lot about Parkinson's before I met him. It's terribly cruel."

SCOTT HAMMOND / FAIRFAX NZ Gordon Forshaw, left, and Pete Rickerby say building a classic motorbike from scrap metal was "challenging but rewarding".

Rickerby's own illness caused him much frustration. He would never be able to ride the bike because he had only a third of his sight, and the degeneration of the brain and spinal cord affected his mobility.

Forshaw could not ride the bike unless he was having a good day, he said.

"I get too anxious now with the Parkinson's to ride it. But I repainted the tanks the other day, and jumped on it to put a new tyre on, and I got all my confidence back.

"I'm going to take it for a ride today and get a warrant for it," Forshaw said.

Rickerby and Forshaw kept each other in good spirits during the rebuild. They had been friends for nearly three years, after meeting at a pub where Forshaw played the harmonica in a band.

"It's been a lot of fun," Forshaw said.

The pair could no longer "work to a clock", so projects like the Yamaha kept them busy, Forshaw said.

"It keeps my brain active."

The Yamaha was Rickerby's first mechanical project, but it was Forshaw's fourth.

But they had already moved onto their next project together, Forshaw's old mobility scooter.

"Mobility scooters are great, but I really hate them with the basket on the front, so I got a grill," Forshaw said.

"I'm looking for an Alfa Romeo grill for Pete.

"I'm trying to build this thing that's like a little car, so it'll have a little roof for when it rains. It'll be a two-seater. We'll get to town at a better speed. It's gotta be comfortable, and it's gotta look cool."