MattInVA
New member
I was a warm day, especially for February. I was about halfway through my "morning" commute. I put quotes around morning, because it might not have actually been in the AM. See, I work with computers, and, for the most part, they don't give a **** what time I come into work. Unlike my ex-wife, whom I recently divorced. She thought I was lazy. In reality, I'm pretty handy with computers, so I have a bunch of them monitoring the important ones that text me when there's a problem. They don't misbehave often. Which means that I head into work at my leisure. I'll answer a few emails, browse reddit, and watch locomotive videos (my other hobby).
Anyway, back to the commute, like I said, I was about halfway through a 30 minute commute, when, seemingly out of nowhere, I was passed with extreme prejudice by a Japanese sport bike of some variety, an inline four (judging by the sound). Kind of unusual that I couldn't identify it. I take misplaced pride in motorcycle identification, as well as identifying locomotives. But there's far fewer different types locomotives. Anyway, my mind went back to my younger days of zipping around on a Honda Blackbird, and several others that I've lost track of. Well except the ZZR1200. That thing still scares me.
I don't know why it took me so long, but suddenly I realized that since the wife is now an ex-wife, I'm rather unconstrained in regards to motorcycling, and, well, the house is paid off, the kids are on their own (mostly). What better way to deal with this pesky disposable income, no?
Once at my desk, I furiously browsed craigslist, cycletrader and ebay. At first I figured at my age, a BWM would be appropriate, you know, time to settle into a fat comfy R1200GS or K1300S. Just sit back and let the tinder-date ******** roll in. However, I'm a rather value driven guy, so my frugality got the better of me. See, every BMW I found was about twice the price of a comparable FJR. A used Concours 1400 was briefly considered. But, I still suffer a touch of PTSD from my last Kawasaki - the ZZR1200. A truly awesome motorcycle, by the way, just a bit too eager to loft up the front end though. I digress. So I settled on a 2005 FJR1300A with lowish miles and a responsible previous owner. I've ridden it about 500 miles. It's wonderfully predictable. Not yet boring, but maybe boring would a welcome change.
Oh, I'm Matt, by the way.
Anyway, back to the commute, like I said, I was about halfway through a 30 minute commute, when, seemingly out of nowhere, I was passed with extreme prejudice by a Japanese sport bike of some variety, an inline four (judging by the sound). Kind of unusual that I couldn't identify it. I take misplaced pride in motorcycle identification, as well as identifying locomotives. But there's far fewer different types locomotives. Anyway, my mind went back to my younger days of zipping around on a Honda Blackbird, and several others that I've lost track of. Well except the ZZR1200. That thing still scares me.
I don't know why it took me so long, but suddenly I realized that since the wife is now an ex-wife, I'm rather unconstrained in regards to motorcycling, and, well, the house is paid off, the kids are on their own (mostly). What better way to deal with this pesky disposable income, no?
Once at my desk, I furiously browsed craigslist, cycletrader and ebay. At first I figured at my age, a BWM would be appropriate, you know, time to settle into a fat comfy R1200GS or K1300S. Just sit back and let the tinder-date ******** roll in. However, I'm a rather value driven guy, so my frugality got the better of me. See, every BMW I found was about twice the price of a comparable FJR. A used Concours 1400 was briefly considered. But, I still suffer a touch of PTSD from my last Kawasaki - the ZZR1200. A truly awesome motorcycle, by the way, just a bit too eager to loft up the front end though. I digress. So I settled on a 2005 FJR1300A with lowish miles and a responsible previous owner. I've ridden it about 500 miles. It's wonderfully predictable. Not yet boring, but maybe boring would a welcome change.
Oh, I'm Matt, by the way.
