Getting Back in the Game

[miatamarty]

I'm 73. Haven't ridden in 20 years. I used to live in Santa Cruz, Ca. My eyes changed, they wouldn't react fast enough going from the sun into the shadows in the forest. I had no idea if the apex had dirt or not. That's when I discovered I really hate losing the front end. Had a nice GSXR-1100 set up as a naked bike with regular handle bars lowered foot pegs, etc. So, I parked it. Only problem I had was I still needed to go fast. I couldn't afford to go out and buy a fast cage. I discovered Cobra replicas. Built a nice 427 Cobra that could scare the sh*t out of me If I didn't pay attention. I couldn't tip over. My head was out in the wind and better yet no more helmet hair. Had that car for 18 years and 160k miles. It was my Dailey Driver. Then I got t-boned by a Chevy Tahoe. End of car. Was not in a position to build another Cobra. Used to be an auto shop owner for 35 years now retired. Ended up with ND Mazda Miata. Amazing car. But----slow. Bought a Suzuki Savage. 650 single 35 horsepower. 60mph felt terrifying and I loved it. But it was slow in the scheme of things. I was doing some fantasy shopping on Craigslist when I saw a 2004 XB9S. $3200. How can I go wrong. I knew what Buells were and who Erik was. Extremely radical engineering with a train of logic and new solutions to old problems. I had kept reading bike magazines and Cycle News all those years because the biker in me never died. Would go to Alices on Skyline every Sunday morning to see the bikes and cars. I thought of the Cobra as an alternative to my old GSXR. I was more excited to check out the bikes than the go fast exotic cars. The XB9 is deceptively fast. The roads in eastern Oregon are empty. I am constantly finding myself cruising along a 80 mph 4100 rpm's. I love the fuel injection. It's a lot like old Japanese cars of late 80's and early 90's. Stone ax simple really. I'm an analog kind of guy. And it's air cooled. Not interested in the newer bikes with all the digital nannies to keep my butt out of the weeds. Plus the majority of them are really really ugly. The engineering really is impressive on the news bikes but so what. You can only realistically use 90 horsepower on the street without getting into legal problems. Physically the bike is just right for me. Not too big not too small. I'm young again. Hallelujah!!!!

 

[BuddyB]

Mia, I can relate.

Not quite your age but close.

The Buell was a gift of life to me. I have never been so focused in my life as I am riding my Buell.

It is like it takes ten years off of my life. And you are right about the horsepower, they are perfect for riding on the road. I ride pretty fast, and am focused on the very twisty roads where I live and to be honest, I just love the way the Buell handles. I have no interest in going 120mph + but get me in the twisties and I can hold my own.

A while back I was stopped at a gas station when a youngster with a GSXR 1000 came over and looked at my back tire. He commented that he did not know how I had such a lean angle, (which to be honest, isn't that great) and was interested in how I could take the corners at that angle. My response was ? I had no Idea. Buell?

Down the road he tried to keep up with me but had serious rear wheel problems. Maybe a bad or really old back tire....

Any way, the Buell motorcycles are corner kings.

Mia , keep it up.