See me coming and hear me going.
So I breathed life into an old friend today.
My old scooter that has sat for years collecting dust after it was replaced by a Harley that I never really was comfortable with. Like a sleeping dragon I had to coax it back to the living, but after some well needed maintenance, a good carb cleaning, oil change, and bath, with some hesitation she rumbled back to life. I took her for a spin around the block and quickly identified a few other maintenance items that are needed. New rear brakes, tires needed air, air cleaner needs to be replaced (not exactly sure where to find one as they are not common for this bike any longer), some cables need to be considered due to age and I think that is the bulk of what she needs.
I noted something about this bike I forgot. She was a machine. My newest bike is more of a graceful dancer, a very powerful graceful dancer, but less machine and more elegant. The center of gravity is much lower, the balance is natural, the length is greater, she is swift and glides when handling.
My old bike is a monster, unbridled raw power bolted together almost more of need than form. She is not graceful but is lumbering and must be wrestled. Just on the short round the block trip memories of manhandling this bike came back, like wrestling a wild animal into submission never completely domesticated. The center of gravity is higher, the torq bites the tire into the pavement, the bars and leaning take effort. She has little to offer in grace but she is beautiful none the less.
I have the Harley for sale, we will see what becomes of it. I don't have time to constantly turn wrenches on a bike every time I want to ride it; I have more projects than I can keep up with as it is. The new bike is such an easy and sweet ride I almost have to not take her to work daily (hard to wear a suit and tie on a bike). My old bike, well I think an old love may have rekindled. No she will not out run or perform my new bike, but she makes up for that in her rawness. She is a machine and I almost forgot that motorcycles should be more function than form. She is old and tired and will not be going on long trips anymore although she has see more than most people, but she will be just fine carving up the local area.
My old scooter that has sat for years collecting dust after it was replaced by a Harley that I never really was comfortable with. Like a sleeping dragon I had to coax it back to the living, but after some well needed maintenance, a good carb cleaning, oil change, and bath, with some hesitation she rumbled back to life. I took her for a spin around the block and quickly identified a few other maintenance items that are needed. New rear brakes, tires needed air, air cleaner needs to be replaced (not exactly sure where to find one as they are not common for this bike any longer), some cables need to be considered due to age and I think that is the bulk of what she needs.
I noted something about this bike I forgot. She was a machine. My newest bike is more of a graceful dancer, a very powerful graceful dancer, but less machine and more elegant. The center of gravity is much lower, the balance is natural, the length is greater, she is swift and glides when handling.
My old bike is a monster, unbridled raw power bolted together almost more of need than form. She is not graceful but is lumbering and must be wrestled. Just on the short round the block trip memories of manhandling this bike came back, like wrestling a wild animal into submission never completely domesticated. The center of gravity is higher, the torq bites the tire into the pavement, the bars and leaning take effort. She has little to offer in grace but she is beautiful none the less.
I have the Harley for sale, we will see what becomes of it. I don't have time to constantly turn wrenches on a bike every time I want to ride it; I have more projects than I can keep up with as it is. The new bike is such an easy and sweet ride I almost have to not take her to work daily (hard to wear a suit and tie on a bike). My old bike, well I think an old love may have rekindled. No she will not out run or perform my new bike, but she makes up for that in her rawness. She is a machine and I almost forgot that motorcycles should be more function than form. She is old and tired and will not be going on long trips anymore although she has see more than most people, but she will be just fine carving up the local area.
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