Two-Wheel Blogging (Part I)

My friend Angie wants to buy a motorcycle and she wants me to help her pick a good one. We’ve been trying to connect with a Phoenix hasher who’s selling a four-year-old Sportster, but every weekend he comes up with another reason we can’t see it. I’m starting to think the guy’s a flake or that there’s something wrong with the bike. We can probably find a 2002 Sportster for the same price right here in town, and I’ll suggest that to her today. I’ll also try to talk her into looking at metric (Japanese) cruisers, which are better bikes and cheaper to boot, but if her heart’s set on Harley I’m not going to fight it. I’ve owned two, and they were fine, fun machines.

When I bought my Goldwing, I told myself I’d keep it at least seven years. That was five years ago, so it’s probably okay with God (but not with my wife) if I start thinking ahead. My next motorcycle, like my current one, will be a touring machine with ABS and a modern liquid-cooled engine. That narrows the field to the BMW K1200LT or the Honda Goldwing. Triumph, maybe, if they decide to build a touring version of the Rocket III.

Odds are, it’ll be another Goldwing (I think Honda will introduce a new version in 2007 or 2008). I love the one I’m riding now, and if it had a sixth gear and an electrically-adjustable windscreen it’d be perfect. It would be really awesome if Honda could design one with a removable rear seat backrest and detachable saddlebags and trunk, so that you could strip it down for in-town and short rides. Mother Honda, are you listening?

One thing Honda can probably never do is mask the scent of old man that permeates the Goldwing experience. The old men who dominate the GL1800 message boards dream of automatic transmissions, windshield wipers, and trike conversions. Pah. Yeah, I’m old, but when the time comes for me to buy a Buick I’ll suck it up and buy the damn Buick, not try to turn a motorcycle into one.