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Got Phoenix out on its inaugural ride today!

I had three goals for this 125 mile “break-in” ride:

1. Scrub in the new tires
2. Make it to the Sutter National Wildlife Refuge
3. Get home safely

I accomplished all three, though at times I wondered about that last one as I struggled against 30 mph cross winds on narrow, winding levee roads.

A few late fall pics…

Phoenix ran perfectly through the whole ride, including a 2 mile stretch of gravel road courtesy of me not paying enough attention to Google Maps when I was planning the route.

After what seems like an eternity, I now have a two-wheeled mode of transport again….

I decided that I wanted a bit of a project to keep me busy and to keep from being parked in front of the TV night after night.

I missed my yellow ‘96 Nighthawk and regretted selling it, so imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a black ‘92 with some cosmetic issues but a strong running engine for $800.

Here’s some of the “before” pics…my starting point.

I have some grand ideas for this bike. I finally have the ability to get a bike like this back to nearly new condition, and I want to have a dependable, reliable weekend touring bike by the end of the year.

This is the bike I wanted 5 bikes ago – a “Sport Standard” that could be made into a 3/4 scale FJR or ST1300. It’s about 160 lbs lighter than those two bikes, is about half the cost, will nearly keep up in the straights, and outrun them in the twisties.

It’s the perfect balance of commuter / tourer, with just enough power to keep things interesting.

Don’t let the GSXR looks fool you. This is no rocket bike to be sure. At 85 horsepower and 515 lbs wet, it will certainly get out of it’s own way, but will be left in the dust by every sportbike on the market.

And that’s just fine with me…I’m not that kind of rider anyway.

I’m still in the break-in period with this bike, so haven’t yet taken it any great distance (I’ll replace the photo with one fromthe road ASAP). I’ve already set it up for touring though, with a center stand, bags, and an all day comfortable Sargent seat.

My limited amount of time on this bike so far has shown me that it will be the bike I ride with, and build memories with, for many years to come. I look forward to many happy miles on this bike.

1996 Honda CB750 Nighthawk

The only bike I ever made money on…

I bought this bike from a guy for $1,300 who really didn’t know what he had. It was in very good shape for its age, with the exception of the exhaust. Seems the previous owner hacksawed the old mufflers off and replaced them with straight pipes.

Riding it home was an adventure. This thing made my Harley sound whisper quiet. I set off at least three car alarms in my 9 mile trip home!

My original intention was to fix this bike up and ride it for a year or two, and sell the Sportster. I was tired of having a bike payment, and wanted to ride something I owned outright for a change. I did the work on the bike, adding a new chain and sprockets, new tires, a centerstand, and of course, new mufflers.

But it was a 12 year old bike with several owners. It’s maintenance schedule was unknown, and based on some local 100 mile rides I did on the bike, I really didn’t trust it for longer trips.

For me, the whole point of having a bike is for longer distance travel, so it slowly became obvious that this particular bike wasn’t the answer for me.

Too bad, because I really liked it. It was very comfortable. There isn’t much of an aftermarket for the bike however, and this further cut into any plans I had for making it a long distance tourer.

I sold it a month prior to selling the Sportster. The sale of the two left me bikeless for the first time in three years. I was pretty sure I could live without a bike for a year or two without any problems….

…I lasted three months.

Taking a break in Nipton, CA

For reasons I still don’t entirely understand, I just never “bonded” with the V-Strom. For better or worse, I’m an aesthetic sort of guy, and the poor Strom simply redefined ugly. I even spent a ridiculous sum of money on a lower fairing, which helped the looks a bit, but it wasn’t enough.

One day, my primary riding buddy offered to switch bikes with me for the afternoon. He rides a 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster. I hopped on, and the experience was so completely opposite of my Strom, that it was hard to believe that both were actually in the same class of transportation!

The Sportster shook like a paint mixer at idle, the controls were heavy, and even with mid-mounted pegs, I could see my knees as I rode.

And I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear the whole time I was on his bike.

I never looked at my Strom the same way after that, and I knew that my next bike would be a Sportster.

My 2006 Sportster was a leftover model, purchased late in the year. I had the option of buying an ‘07 instead, which had fuel injection, as opposed to the carburetors on the ‘06. I somewhat regret my decision, as it was carb problems that played a role in my selling of this bike.

It started life as a maroon bike, but I loved the look of my buddies black Sportster, and eventually found tins and a tank to convert it.

Near Dolan Springs, AZ

I rode this bike a lot. It was a great bike in town, for shorter trips, and at speeds up to 70 mph or so. I have great memories of this bike on trips both long and short – including a trip through southern Utah in July 2007 when the ambient temperature on my gauge pegged the meter at 120+ degrees!

The bike ultimately showed its shortcoming on longer trips, at freeway speeds above 70, and by the constant spitting and backfiring of the carbs. The guy I sold the Sporty to tore the carbs apart, and found that the dealer had installed jets that were too large and designed for the 1200cc motor (mine was an 883). This explained why the bike constantly ran rich and even occasionally spilled gas out the front of the carb.

In the end, it was a very difficult decision to sell it. It was the most beautiful bike I’ve ever owned. I had even purchased an inexpensive bike the previous autumn to replace it, except I couldn’t bring myself to do it, and actually sold that bike before the Sportster.

The Sporty will always hold a special place in my heart, and who knows? I may own one again someday.