Vroom. Vroom.

Anyone that knows me, really knows me, knows how much I love cars, trucks and motorcycles.  Heck, I turned down a really good university appointment one summer so I could pursue my childhood dream of driving trucks.  It started out with a bus, then transformed into a semi-truck gig a year later.  I have never regretted it.

Lately with how busy I am it has been impossible to keep up on all the repairs for the old stuff I buy.  Some of it ends up being a good deal, more of it not.  I'm coming to believe the philosophy of just saving up and buying something good that will last and not leave you stranded.  If that takes a bit of busing and walking to save up for it, so be it.

So all my vehicles are being sold or have been sold.  I've had a few.  Right now I'm getting rid of a neat 1980 Honda CM400T, a street bike that hasn't ever let me down.  It's good enough to ride on the freeway and better on the city streets, and it has even handled some very brief encounters with dirt roads.  Successfully.  It just broke down again, but like any other time it was able to limp back home and then to the shop.

The Harley is the piece of work though.  It looks great, and rides great.  When it works.  Which is rarely.  It is so close to being fixed but I just don't have the time or patience to deal with it anymore.  It definitely looks like one of my kind of vehicles.  Medium-high handle bars, big engine.  Just redneck enough for me to love it.



Trisha told me that if we didn't compromise careers but went wherever she wanted that she would buy me a motorcycle.  A new motorcycle.  So my dreams of gardening and housekeeping came back to mind....  Just for fun, I have been looking around at different bikes though.  Here's what I've come up with.

And I don't know anything about picture copyright laws, so if I'm doing something wrong could someone please let me know before I get in trouble?  At the least, it's free advertising for them.

Ducati Monster.  It's weird at first blush, but it grows on you.  The oddest thing for me is that it's a sport bike.  Here's how I justify it.  It's Italian.  It's a sport bike with class.  This isn't your college student Ninja or anything.  It's a real bike.  It might also be uncomfortable for long rides.  I doubt I'll be driving to Canada on it though.

Buell Lightening.  Again, do not be deceived.  It looks like some kid's dirt bike but it's made by Eric Buell who was a sport bike engineer attached to Harley-Davidson.  Who knew HD made sport bikes??  They're well put together from what I've seen and heard.

This is another Sportster 883.  The picture is directly off HD's website.  I like the carbon look, but the gas tank is too small for me.

Honda Shadow.  It's hard to go wrong with Japanese.  I've had a couple Hondas now and they've been great.  This is the only one that Trisha didn't refer to as being "dippy-looking".  Well, those are my words but that's what she meant.

Kawasaki Ninja.  I really can't see myself driving a piece of plastic.  Of course, I guess that's what everything is these days.

Tron LightCycle.  I'm an 80s sort of a guy.  I could really see myself in one of these.  The best part is that I could block erratic traffic from passing me and cutting me off.  Parking would be a breeze too.  Now that I think about I really do want one of these.

2010 Tron LightCycle.  Now we're talking.  Same perks as the 80s edition but with a little more zing to it.  Plus, I might be able to get the sales rep to thrown in one of those rockin leather suits.





This is still the research phase so I haven't quite set my mind (or heart) on any of these yet.  I'm curious what others would recommend to me.