With the riding days quickly winding down, I thought I’d take advantage of the beautiful fall day today. The weather was perfect, the leaves were gorgeous… what more could I ask for? So, I jump on my bike, meet up with a friend and off we go.
And after 5 hours and 350 km’s, I’m finally home and my ass is killing me. And if the weather cooperates next week, I’ll be out doing it again.
Spring is very much upon us here in Toronto and as promised, I’m back in the saddle of a motorcycle again. Oh how good it is to be back on two wheels.
As some of you may remember, I used to ride a ‘98 Triumph Speed Triple that was unfortunately crashed when I foolishly let a friend someone ride it. That someone happened to be a close friend of mine, but after the event he apparently felt I was trying to take advantage of him when it came to replacement cost of the bike, and I haven’t spoken to him in about 9 months now. I’m not quite sure how exactly I was supposedly taking advantage of him, when I’m the one out $5,000 and 1 friend… but I digress. He won’t return my calls or emails, so needless to say, he and I are no longer friends. And to think, I actually scoffed at everyone who said that this would come between he and I. How naive I was. In the end, I sold the bike remains for all of $1000, and spent the rest of the winter wondering what I’d replace her with.
Purchasing a motorcycle is very much an emotional decision. For the most part, the bikes themselves are all very similar (especially when you’re comparing Japanese bikes). I had no interest in a sports bike, nor a cruiser… so I immediately limited my options, and more or less eliminated the Japanese manufactures. I highly considered getting another Triumph, but in the time since the aforementioned incident, the only dealer in the city closed up shop. So with the Japanese and the British off the list, I had but only the Italians to gaze upon. And my new love would come in the form of a 2007 Ducati Monster S2R.
For those who know anything about motorcycles, I’m sure you’ve heard of Ducati. And I have to admit, their reputation is well deserved. The bike rides amazingly well and, quite surprisingly, similar to the Speed Triple. The Ducati rides smoother, has better brakes, suspension and overall better technology – but the S3 was close to 8 years old, so that’s to be expected. What surprised me the most however, was how much lighter and smaller the Monster is. It also has a smaller displacement (800 vs 955), but I can’t tell the difference whatsoever. It’s just as fast and responsive as the Triumph was – which is to say, faster and more responsive than I would ever need it to be.
This weekend proved to be the perfect weekend to take her out for a nice long 2+ hour ride. And with Google’s latest addition to their Maps tools, I’ve mapped out the route for those interested in going for a beautiful spin in the country.
March 21st, 2007. The first day of spring. Or, more importantly, the first day that I’m back in the saddle of a motorcycle.
As some of you might be aware, I am was the proud owner of a 1998 Triumph Speed Triple. However, that all changed about 4 weeks ago. You see, I made a critical error in judgement, and let someone else ride my motorcycle. I’ve come to realize that this is something a motorcycle owner just doesn’t do.
In retrospect, it was clearly a bad idea. I won’t name names, but needless to say I let an old friend ride my motorcycle. He wasn’t licensed, he wasn’t experienced, and now I’m without wheels.
I was reluctant at first (and actually said ‘no’ a few times), but I knew he wanted to take it for a spin, so I agreed to a quick trip around the block. It should have been a 2 minute roundtrip – but when he passed the 10 minute mark, I knew something was wrong.
Apparently there was a kid playing, and a ball rolling across the street… I say bullshit, but whatever the case, he definitely locked up front wheel, and down they went. He was a little banged up, but nothing too serious (and quite frankly, he’s lucky it wasn’t worse). The bike was a different story however. It actually looked quite superficial at first. Beyond some scratches, a broken mirror and a damaged radiator, it didn’t look all that bad. However, clutch casing was shaved right off, and fluids were draining at an alarming rate. Not good. My buddy pegged the repairs at a few thousand… my first reaction was “fuck, I bet it’s a write-off”. I wish I was wrong. At $14,000+ to fix, the repairs easily surpassed the value of the bike. Indeed, that was one expensive ride.
The bulk of the damage was focused on the engine. In particular, the clutch was impacted which in turn impacted the cam shaft (at least that’s I think they said… I can’t say I’m mechanically inclined when it comes to motorcycle engines). Not that it really matters – the engine required a significant amount of work and being a Triumph (read: “exotic” motorcycle), parts don’t come cheap. Nor does labour.
So, what all does this mean? Well, I couldn’t exactly put it through insurance (much to the chagrin of my buddy). He wasn’t licensed, so I knew they wouldn’t cover the costs. I wasn’t riding – nor was I about to claim that I was, and have that on my record. And I wasn’t about to “dispose” of it and report it stolen (you know, something about conscious and fraud…) So, my friend is going on the payment plan (or so he says… I haven’t heard from him in a few weeks now), and I’m focusing my attention on getting a replacement. But what to get?
The answer to that was actually quite simple for me. Another Speed Triple! I looked at the Ducati’s, which are nice but not the same (and more expensive!). I looked at the Honda’s, and Kawasaki’s, and Yamaha’s... but I have zero interest in them. And Harley’s don’t do it for me either. So my choices are actually quite limited… even more so when you realize that there aren’t many used Triumph’s available in Ontario. If I want another Speed Triple, it’ll have to be new.
Now, I’m actually OK with this. I mean, yes – I need to pony up some additional cash (well, close to $10,000 to be specific). But I am getting a new bike in the end, and new is better than used, right? However, Jess isn’t so happy about that, which I can respect. $10K is a lot of money, no matter which way I spin it. Regardless, she’s come around to the fact that I can’t find a used Speed Triple, and that I want to purchase a new one. And her only stipulation is that I purchase it in the spring! I suppose I can see her logic, I mean winter is fast approaching. But with the season as short as it is, I really wanted to take advantage of every possible day. In particular, I was especially looking forward to my first ride in the fall.
Some have said that I should just purchase it now, and beg for forgiveness later. Others have said that I should cut my losses, and consider something else. And a few have insisted that I give up riding altogether (sorry mom). But I can wait. I don’t want to, but I will. And on March 21st 2007, I will be riding home from my local Triumph dealer, with a huge grin on my face.
Now here’s a little nugget of goodness I discovered yesterday afternoon – It appears that motorcycles and scooters can now park for free on the streets of Toronto! Yep, that’s correct – you can slot your bike in any spot where there’s a meter or where you’d need one of those stupid Pay & Display tickets, and you can do it for free.
Free parking, awesome gas mileage, cheap maintenance… if only it didn’t snow here.
Something quite trivial happened to me this afternoon that’s got me thinking about who I am as I person, and how the idiosyncrasies I possess will impact me as I strive to succeed in the future. I hadn’t intended this post to be as introspective as I’m sure it’ll undoubtedly come across as, but I digress – it’s a topic that has crossed my mind a number of times in the past, so post I shall.
This afternoon I drove down to the post office to setup the necessary mail-forwarding Jess and I are going to need after we depart next Friday. I hadn’t expected this to take much time to setup, but the large gathering of people waiting inside obviously made me think otherwise. I entered the building, walked up to the Take A Number dispenser, and pulled my lucky ticket. 68. A quick glance at the Now Serving display promptly reveals that I’m going to be here for a while. 49. As I’m about to take a seat and wait my turn, I notice 2 tickets sitting right next to the ticket dispenser. 50 and 52. And as if someone is looking over my shoulder, “Now serving number fifty.” is announced over the PA system.
I picked up the tickets and survey the room. Looking at the faces of those waiting for their number to be called, it’s clear no one wants to be there, and each of them has been waiting for quite some time. Especially longer than I. To some, the decision is easy. Go to the front of the time and save yourself at least 30 minutes. Especially when you’re riding a motorcycle and it looks like it’s about to rain.
I don’t know any of these people, nor will I see them again But I hesitate, 51 is quickly called, and a relieved looking gentlemen makes his way up to the counter with his big parcel. But I’m left standing right where I am, in the exact same situation. Holding 52.
It’s been my perception for quite some time that those who succeed in this world are those who take advantage of the opportunities that they are presented with. Your definition of “success” may vary, but I think the principals are the same. You have to know what you want, and you have to go and get it. You have to be relentless, and you can’t hesitate. You have to be confident and passionate. You have to be bigger than yourself, and bigger than the guy next to you. And when an opportunity presents itself, you have to take it
52 is called, but I’ve already thrown out the ticket. I’ve decided not to make these people wait any longer than they already have, and I’ll wait my turn just like they did. Some people will undoubtedly view my decision as a character strength, while others will view it as a character flaw. And truth be told, I’m still on the fence about it. Obviously, I’m not suggesting that this event will have any meaningful affect on my future, but I’m left wondering how I’ll react when presented with a opportunity of greater magnitude.
In this instance, I think the karma was more valuable than the 30 minutes I saved at the post office. And when a more meaningful opportunity inevitably presents itself, hopefully I can cash in all my accumulated karma for The Big Prize®.
I’m going to assume everyone saw this coming… I mean, it was a foregone conclusion, right? I’ve wanted a motorcycle for years, I purchased a helmet 2 years ago (because I got a killer deal and I knew that I’d ride someday), I wrote the M1 test in Ontario and I just got my full license here in California. So shouldn’t come as a big surprise to anyone, but I’ve gone and purchased a motorcycle.
The bike I purchased is a used ‘98 Triumph Speed Triple. It has 17K miles on it, and as far as I can tell (and the mechanic I had inspect it before purchase), it’s in impeccable condition. The reason for the purchase is pretty simple – it was cheaper than getting a second car. I have a pretty short commute to work (about 15 min or so), where I travel along the coast from Dana Point into Laguna Beach. What better way to enjoy that drive than on a motorcycle, right? Beyond that, it gets just shy of 50 miles to the gallon, so the fuel economy is a plus as well.
The Speed Triple is considered a “naked” bike – that is, the seating position is very upright (you’re not hunched over the tank while riding) and it doesn’t have any fairings (those plastic pieces that wrap around the front of most sports bikes). I personally don’t like the look of most sports bikes, nor am I a fan of most cruisers either – but I love the look of a naked bike. With this bike, I particularly love the single sided swing-arm on the rear tire, the rear intakes, and the bug-eye headlights.
The pervious owner had made a few modifications to it, and had he not done them himself, I would have soon after I took possession. As you can see from the photos, the exhaust, rear tire hugger and chain cover have all been replaced with carbon fiber alternatives. The mirrors have been changed, a tank protector was added, and all of the badging (except the 2 tank logos) have been removed.
The rear cowl is removable and I can put a rear seat on if Jess ever wants to ride on the back. She’s made a few comments about wanting to go, but we need to get her a helmet first. I personally don’t think she’ll like it, but maybe I’ll be wrong.
That’s right ladies and gentlemen, I am now licensed to drive a motorcycle in the state of California. I finished my third day of training classes today, and am now officially capable of driving a two-wheeled vehicle.
The training course I took was extremely educational, and I highly recommend that all interested riders take one as well. It involved 1 day of in-class, and 2 days of on-bike training. The classwork wasn’t all that challenging… more commonsense than anything else, with a straightforward multiple-choice test at the end. Riding the actual bike though – that was a bit more challenging.
Admittedly, I was a bit intimidated by the overtly modern 1998 Suzuki Marauder 125. I’d never even sat on one before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect… Granted, it was clearly a piece of junk and with a displacement of 125cc, it sits about 1 notch above a scooter with a total of 12 horsepower. Regardless, I got on it and off I went. 2 days later I’ve passed the practical driving test with a perfect score (thankyouverumuch!). So, with my training days behind me and nothing but the open road ahead (oh, how clichéd is that?!), I’ve learned a few things about riding a motorcycle that I thought I’d share:
Mom, you can stop worrying now – I’m not sure when I’ll actually get a motorcyle… I might not get one at all. I definitely don’t have any plans of giving up my current daily driver, but I can say I’ve actually driven a motorcycle, and doing so was a hell of a lot of fun.
Oh, one last thing. Don’t I look ridiculously serious in that photo? Jess thinks I look like I’m “going to defcon 9”... I just think it’s funny.
