Soon to be Two-Wheeling
I have wanted a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle since around 1987 or so when I first sat on one and felt how comfortable it was.. but alas, it was way out of my budget.
I rode from 1987 until 1991 when I decided to give up my bike (a 1979 Yamaha XS750SE Special, 3-cylinder "triple" with a full fairing and hard saddlebags) because I was living in Dallas, and it was completely cold-blooded - wouldn't start when the temperature was below 40f.
When I came back to California (by way of a 3-year stint in Arid-zona) in 1996, I neglected to renew my motorcycle license, which only required taking the written test... So now, I have to go through the motions from scratch to be able to ride again.
I've resolved that I am going to own a Gold-Wing by the end of August... so yesterday I tried to make an appointment at the DMV to get a Motorcycle permit. The soonest they could schedule was Mid-morning Friday, August 28. !!! fuggit-all.... I went to the DMV early this morning, got in line at 7:30am (they open at 8 and there were already 30 people in front of me) and finished taking the written test and was out of there by 9:30.
Soon... Really soon:
Now that I have the learner's permit, I can shop around for a decent used bike... I saw some at "Fun Bike Center" in Kearney Mesa a couple weeks ago that were in great shape, and the salesman will help me locate one in Pearl White. The used bikes in good shape typically go for $13K to $15K... the new ones MSRP at $23K and go up from there, but they don't have Pearl White as an option in the 2009 model year.
I rode from 1987 until 1991 when I decided to give up my bike (a 1979 Yamaha XS750SE Special, 3-cylinder "triple" with a full fairing and hard saddlebags) because I was living in Dallas, and it was completely cold-blooded - wouldn't start when the temperature was below 40f.
When I came back to California (by way of a 3-year stint in Arid-zona) in 1996, I neglected to renew my motorcycle license, which only required taking the written test... So now, I have to go through the motions from scratch to be able to ride again.
I've resolved that I am going to own a Gold-Wing by the end of August... so yesterday I tried to make an appointment at the DMV to get a Motorcycle permit. The soonest they could schedule was Mid-morning Friday, August 28. !!! fuggit-all.... I went to the DMV early this morning, got in line at 7:30am (they open at 8 and there were already 30 people in front of me) and finished taking the written test and was out of there by 9:30.
Soon... Really soon:
Now that I have the learner's permit, I can shop around for a decent used bike... I saw some at "Fun Bike Center" in Kearney Mesa a couple weeks ago that were in great shape, and the salesman will help me locate one in Pearl White. The used bikes in good shape typically go for $13K to $15K... the new ones MSRP at $23K and go up from there, but they don't have Pearl White as an option in the 2009 model year.