I sold my 3rd Harley Davidson the other day. I just got to the point where I couldn't justify having thousands of dollars tied up in a motorcycle that I rarely rode. In the two years that I had this one, I put a total of 3,700 miles on it. I recently noticed a new car ad about a low cost compact SUV where a money expert says "use the money you saved to pay down your credit card debt." So that's what I did with the proceeds of the sale...paid off credit card debt and bought a nice little used motorcycle. Buying and selling bikes is always an adventure. I sold the Harley to a really nice couple who were at a point in their lives where it made sense for them. The fun part was when this fellows wife told me that she was surprising him with the bike of his dreams. That kind of thing is priceless. I've since heard that he was thrilled with his new bike, and I'm really glad that someone will be getting good use from it. Once the motorcycle was picked up, I started a search for something smaller, lighter, and less expensive. I'd been hearing about Craigslist.com, so I gave it a look. I quickly learned that craigslist solves the dilemma of finding the perfect bike with ease only to realize that it is in Oregon or some other far-flung locale.
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On Craigslist I easily found dozens of motorcycles for sale right here in Vermont. Prices ranged from ridiculous to dirt cheap, and the brands represented were varied, as well. I've always liked the look of Triumphs from the 1960's, but their reliability leaves a lot to be desired. Foot brake and shifter positions are opposite the standard, and whenever I've ridden a Triumph I've nearly gone down from hitting the brake while I thought I was downshifting. This is not a problem on new Triumphs, because they have standard control positions, but a majority of the vintage bikes would certainly get me into trouble fast. I decided to look for something other than an old British bike. After a bit more searching I found a good looking 1971 Honda CB 450. They are hard to describe, but all I can say is that the proportions are just about perfect to my eye. The tank is a study in simple elegance, the long flat seat is comfortable and the bars fall to hand easily. This one appeared to be in very good shape, so I contacted the owner. We made arrangements for me to see the bike, and I took my enclosed trailer, just in case. The bike was located near Lake Elmore, northwest of Montpelier. I had never been to Elmore, so the trek from Montpelier to the lake on route 12 was new to me. The road was a bit rough, but I truly enjoyed the scenery. Route 12 winds up past the Wrightsville Reservoir, through Worcester, and climbs up a nearly deserted road to Elmore. The lake is nestled against a mountainside and is quite pretty. I found the house I was looking for with no trouble as I had already scouted the location on Google Earth, and had a really good idea of what the terrain looked like. The bike's owner was a young fellow who looked a little like a movie star. He showed me the bike, started it, and I took it for a short ride. He noted that it ran rough and needed adjusting. It didn't behave like there was anything radically wrong with it. We agreed upon a price and he helped me load it into the trailer and tie it down. On my way home I stopped at the country store in Worcester and found that the owner was Indian and his deli offered curry chicken and rice. I sat in the truck and enjoyed a far better meal than I had expected. When I reached South Royalton I stopped to visit my Mother. I also decided to check on the bike. You can imagine my horror when I saw that the straps had let go and the bike was lying on its side. There was no fuel or oil leaking, and it looked like I'd have a lot of trouble righting the bike alone, so I borrowed a blanket to protect the finish and drove slowly home. Fortunately there was no serious damage to the bike. It will need work anyway, but it feels really solid and looks well cared for. The process of getting a different bike has already been an adventure. I feel as though I am way ahead of the game and look forward to sorting this little bike out and doing some riding at 60 M.P.G. The moral of the story it that it doesn't matter what you ride, it just matters that you enjoy the experience. Somehow I get the feeling that this won't be the last bike I put in my garage.