Call it what you will, but every person has that one thing that he /she desires above all things. This thing is usually material (sometimes not) but represents something much deeper than the object itself. It is something that, by its very nature, makes you happy and makes your quality of life better due to your connections / feelings w/ this object. In <em>Gone in 60 Seconds</em>, Nicolas Cage called it his unicorn. In <em>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</em>, Slash called it his binky (I think, lol). Whatever you call it, it is something that you want very badly not for material gain but more for the reasons that it triggers something in you that seems to make you more complete...
Anyone who has been around me much at all knows that there is one such item that I have been drooling over for the past 2 years (or maybe longer, lol)... a motorcycle. In fact, I have been drooling over bikes so long that it has become something of a running gag in which everyone delights in pointing them out every time I pass them in order to hear me whine about how much I would love to have one. /sigh
Why a motorcycle? To be honest, it is pretty hard to explain without sounding like some half-crazed hippie (no offense to those half-sane hippies out there, ;) ). A motorcycle is a symbol of ultimate freedom to me. You are out on the road as open to world as you can possibly be (without having to walk, lol). You have options to go places and do things that you could never do w/ a car. Cars have always felt very restrictive to me, due to the fact that you are viewing the world through some kind of TV-screen-like window, rather than experiencing it for yourself.
When I was younger, I had very good experiences riding off-road trails w/ my brother and cousin on their bikes. It was a very fun time in my life and one that I would like to revisit now, if I could. There is a measure of community in motorcycles as well (much like owning a beat up old truck). When you meet other bikers, you have a bit more in common than any other passerby, which makes a huge difference sometimes. Also, it makes for good stories later like... remember that time you half-died while trying to jump object x? ... ... ... lol
Anyway, I have finally decided that this is the time to get a bike. So, while visiting w/ my family this weekend, I was able to place an order for this bike:
It is a dual-sport Kawasaki KLR650. It is fitted for both on and off road travel. The reasons I picked this bike are many. First off, I had to have a on / off road bike. Why would I want a bike that I could not jump / climb walls w/? (unless it was bike #2... lol). The Kawasaki is a bit of bigger bike than than its equivalent model peers. Although smaller bikes are nice for being able to maneuver in tight spots, such as the woods, I want something that will be comfortable for the highways. Also, the Kawasaki seems to have a better accessory line than most others. Although this is not a big concern, it was enough to assist w/ the decision making process.
Finally, I really liked the seat layout on this bike, as I hope to make Crystal my biker chick.... Maybe I need to get one of those "The B*tch fell off shirts" lol... (Just quoting the shirt, Crystal). As I said before, riding is kindof a community thing for me, so it is really important to me to have my partner in life be riding w/ me as well.
Anyway, I now have a new bike! Rock! I will hopefully be able to pick it up next weekend and go riding. On a side note, I just got <a href="http://www.dylanwolf.com">Dylan</a> to say that he would "most likely" buy a bike if I ever did so. Of course, he does not know as of yet that I have already bought one... lol
So, Dylan, its time to pony up!