Don't tell Kimmie but....

I've been looking at other bikes.

Maybe it's because spring is just around the corner.  Maybe it's because of my daily commute.  Maybe it's because Sue and company have been pushing me to buy a trike or Cam-Am.  I have to be honest, the Cam-Am idea has grown on me but frankly if I were to buy anything with three wheels it would more likely be a Ural.  It' fits with my "weird" side rather nicely.

Kimmie has been giving me issues lately and is currently in the shop.  A oil leak that I can't identify (originally I thought it was a bad drain plug) resulted in my engine light going off one day last week (I pulled off to the side ASAP and luckily I was near my buddy's Craig's house and he was able to get us home).  Cold weather starts are still a issue and for some reason my "check battery" light came on.

So for these reasons my guys at Affordable Motorsports (my go-to mechanics) are giving her the once over twice.  While their at it I asked them to pull the Tupperware off and give me an idea of the wear on the CVT belt.  This is her second day in the shop.

Depending on the cost of repairs; I'm looking at a couple of different options, although any change is still six to nine months down the road.  While I can certainly afford a new bike, I'm hoping to put it off as long as possible for economic reasons.

I have been "nickle'ed and dime'd" to death on cars in the past and don't want Kimmie to end up costing me more than she is worth,  Kimmie is about seven or eight years old and I've put 20,000 + miles on her in the last 2 years, in addition to wrecking her once.  She's served me very well and I've no desire to get a new bike...but I have to be realistic too.

Truthfully the idea of a manual transmission still scares me a bit.  I just think that with the traffic being what it is in Florida - where one out of every four or five drivers is uninsured - worrying about gearing and such is just an extra burden.

However that also limits my choices.  I also want a little more power than I currently have.  The 500cc of Kimmie has meet my needs and more, but I think a slight tick upward into the 650 to 850cc range is in order.  My choices narrow even more.

Here is a rough idea of the bikes that I'm looking at.  They are in no particular order and the links are all to the newest models.  It makes more sense to buy used but again if I buy new then I know exactly what maintenance was done when and who did it.

Suzuki Burgman 650 - The granddaddy of all maxi scoots!  Storage and comfort at a semi-hefty price although their are lots of options available.  Plus, honestly I'm leaning more towards an "actual motorcycle".  The secondary market is great for a Burgman however.

Aprilla Mana 850 - An automatic motorcycle with paddle shifters. I have mixed emotions about this one.  While I like a lot of what it has to offer, it's also a bit pricey and the reviews don't seem that great.

Honda CTX - probably my favorite.  ABS and a good price although limited options.  Storage is non existent.

Honda CTX - thanks to Honda for the pic

BMW GT 650 - Pricey but a lot of options.  ABS is standard and it's probably the only "beamer" I'll ever own.

Kymco Myroad 700i - Well Kimmie's bigger better sister (Myra?) has a bigger engine, the ergonomics and storage are still an issue for me.

Triumph Bonneville - OK, not really an automatic but that lovely classic design and the secondary market is full of them.  Again no storage.

Royal Enfield - Again not automatic, or even that powerful (it's only 500cc) and would probably be better suited to life in the city.  Not the long commute I have now.  Still its a great looking bike and they even make a diesel model!  Who knows if we will ever see it in America.

In the end though it will come down to form vs function.  What is going to meet my needs and satisfy my soul.  So the Honda CTX, just may be my next bike.  Of course it all depends on how Kimmie heals.

Hipsters and their bikes (another look)

From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached. - Franz Kafka

It's not that rare for me to comment on someone else's blog.  A good blog entry or article in a magazine should engage your mind, make you learn something or consider something in a new light.  Sometimes something should just piss you off enough that you need to fire off a comment just to show that moron that you know more than them.  If it does that then it is a successful piece of writing in my mind.

A dated article recently linked to the Motorcycle Obsession blog got me thinking.  The piece, which you can read here, basically dealt with Hipsters and Motorcycles.  Or what they - which I suppose is young people - are riding today.  Now I am not a hipster.  I would have no idea on how to even define such a thing.  After all I don't smoke clove cigarettes, I have never owned a beret, nor do I find the music of the Decemberists all that interesting (Hey Kids, lets do a song about dying of famine in 1860's Ireland!  Won't that be fun!)      

Now I will agree that poking non-malicious fun of a group other than your own can be enjoyable at times (for example, H-D riders).  The Motorcycle.com piece certainly has it's tongue planted firmly in it's cheek at times, but the problem is that instead of embracing this movement towards greater numbers of people riding it sort of blows them off.  The article lumps a whole lot of people into one category without understanding some of the logic behind the reason why motorized bicycles, small "cc" scoots and vintage bikes are "in."  That I'm afraid I have to take issue with.

The article starts with "hipsters love vintage" and mentions Grandad's old Goldwing.   In fact, several times "vintage" is mentioned and the term "vintage" is used to conjure a certain look or emotion.  A few of the brands mentioned, such as the Triumph Bonneville and the Royal Enfields speak to a much simpler time and, as Motorcycle Obsession points out, simply looks like a motorcycle.  

Let's be honest.  Some bikes are simply more easier to work on than others.   Today's youth, saddled with impossible student loans to pay back and a bleak job outlook, are looking to save money any way they can.  Buying a motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that.  Buying an older motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that.  Guess what might be easier to work on?  The newest computerized high performance engine or your simple two-stroke?  Grandad's old Goldwing might have 130,000 miles on it, but it was lovingly taken care of.  Plus Pop's would be more than willing to throw you some knowledge on it's care.

Hipsters are supposedly riding motorized bicycles as well.   I've not seen to many of these around the streets of Tampa but with top speeds of maybe 30 miles an hour and 130 mpg of gas I can certainly understand the attraction to the "hipster".  It, much like the lower 'cc' scooter, is built for city life.  You're able to ride it to work, to the bus depot or train stop.  You're able to take it inside the building and place it in your cube.  Well at least where I used to work you were able to take your (non-motorized) bike in.  

Scooters of course offer higher gas mileage and  more storage than either a motorcycle or motorized bicycle can.  Vespa's are pretty common and hold their value well and you have a lot of online sources to turn to if you have issues.  The Honda Ruckus is a do anything, go anywhere scooter which again is easy to work on. It also has a very active online presence   Do you see a pattern emerging here?

There was one bike in the article that did surprise me, till I thought about it for a moment.   The Ural however offers a lot other than a slick marketing scheme.  You can carry three people on a Ural without much difficulty.  It's sidecar offers excellent storage and frankly it's go anywhere attitude and ability to go anywhere makes it a perfect year round ride.  Sure it's got issues but if you're serious about making your life car free (and this is a growing movement) the Ural is a near perfect solution.  Is it any wonder their sales keep increasing?  I know I am slowly but surely heading that way and one of the reasons I'm attracted to the Ural is it's unusual pedigree.  There is something to be said for that as well and frankly that is one of the reasons I think "hipsters" are attracted to it as well.

What bothers me in the end is not the article.  Nor the disdain it showed, after all the audience the piece is written for is older and have ridden for years.  I guess what bothered me is that we need to grow the brotherhood of two wheels.  We need to communicate better, to rethink how we market, act and treat each other.  People buy bikes for 1001 reasons, it's up to us to make sure they buy the right bike for their needs and abilities.  

It may finally be "hip" to be on two wheels...why shoot that down?

What's next?

I have been trying to help a co-worker decide on which motorcycle he should buy.  This will be his first motorcycle and he has never ridden before.  Luckily he has got a bit of a brain in his head and is getting endorsed first, buying the proper gear and is listening to those of us that do ride nearly every day.  He's already changed his mind about getting a huge cc monster although I can't talk him out of his desire for a street bike.

In my thinking a 250cc or 400cc motorbike or scooter is all he needs for a year or two.  Your going to go down at least once while learning and a old beater would serve his needs.  Burgman's are relativity cheap and plentiful for example and would provide him experience in handling a two wheeled vehicle.  Now don't misunderstand me, I love my Burgie and really don't have any complaints about it but I am a realist as well - he needs to learn and the Burgman is a good bike to do that on.  His heart however, is with a sport bike.

My first ride was the Zuma 125, it met all my needs at the time and was a fun little bike, it will always have a place in my heart, but his quest got me thinking.   What's next for me?

Aprilia Mana 850 ABS

I've always been attracted to the odd and unusual and I can't see paying an extra 10K just for a brand name.  Plus, they are a dime of dozen, so Harley's are pretty much out of the picture.  I do like the Mana 850 by Aprilia  They also created a 850cc scooter with pretty much the same body, or at least it appears that way to my untrained eye.  I fell in love with the style of their bikes, all smooth refined lines and Italian sophistication.  I've only seen one or two on the streets and that appeals to me.

BMW new Urban Mobility Vehicles also appeal to me just due to their style.  The fact that they are BMW's - which generally means good engineering that is built to last.  The reviews I've read are generally good  and frankly, this is probably the only BMW I will ever be able to own other than a matchbox car.  Both of the current models are being geared towards city dwellers, answering their concerns about  the crowded roads and diminishing resources of city living.  It's a gamble and interesting marketing but could pay off huge for BMW in the future.

When I first started looking at buying a "real bike" and not a scooter various friends of ours tried to steer me to the Triumph Bonneville's.  I have to admit that I'm drawn to not only the fine lines of this classic bike but also the history of them.  It's a damn sexy machine.  The only reason I'm not riding a Bonneville today is that they were, at the time, a little to powerful for me.  I could however see myself on one of these very easily.

Piaggio MP3 500cc

Susan, my long time girlfriend, and I have discussed the possibility of getting a trike or a trike conversion kit to allow her to ride with me.  While I do love the idea of her putting her arms around me as we go through the twisty's I'm not really sold on the idea of a trike.  I would eventually like to travel with her to parts unknown, and some trikes are built exactly for that comfort and ease of travel.    I have seen some models out there that appear to be little more than cars missing the roof and steering wheel and that to me seems to be defeating the purpose.  I am not a fan of Can-Am, although that has more to do with the style of the bike than anything else.  I've not seen many on the road which does make it "unique", nor have I really looked at the bike up close.  Does it have lots of storage?  How does it handle?  Frankly I don't know and need to learn more about them.

Piaggio has the MP3 series of bikes. These are three wheeled scooters and have lots of interesting advantages, such as being able to stop and not put your foot down. They are still rare on the roads and is a much smaller profile than the Can-Am's.  Both of these bikes offer stability and safety.  The MP3 is a smaller bike (maxing out at a little under 500cc as compared to the 900cc of the Can-Am) and would get gas mileage similar to what I'm getting now.

Ural Patrol model

A motorcycle sidecar seems to be more honest to me.  Ural Motorcycles used to make motorcycles for the Soviet Military.  Did I mention my enjoyment of odd and unusual?  My love of history?  The idea of traveling here and there with a sidecar has a romantic element to it as well.  Ural prides itself on its ability to take to take what ever you through at it.  Sidecars however are also inherently dangerous and many people dislike the idea of riding mere inches above the road surface. The concept appeals to me, the reality might not, again...more research and test drives are required.

I'm not in the market for a new bike though.  I am very happy with my 07 Burgman and I'm not ready for a new bike - even if I could afford it - and frankly who knows what will be out there when I am ready?  I am however keeping my eyes open, something may fall into my lap one day, for now however...I'm a Burgman rider.  Another Burgman could be in the future.  You never know.