Many Midwest Guest readers already know that Tim Marks plays an important part role in whatever success I've accomplished with this blog over the past eight years. Tim and I usually travel together, plus he is my go-to in-house tech guy and helps promote Midwest Guest via social media. Tim recently embarked on a new adventure of his own, so I've asked him to share his experiences as a returning motorcycle rider and how I'm sure those will play into our Midwest travels going forward.
I bought a small used motorcycle from my uncle during the spring of my junior year in high school. It was a red 1969 Honda CT90 that I paid $75 for and hauled back from Grand Haven, Michigan in a U-Haul trailer.
I loved that bike.
Photo by Brayden Richards Lic. Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0
I rode it to and from high school during my senior year and during my first two years of college. Summers were the most fun as I rode the bike to work as well as around town most days.
I sold it the summer of 1974 to a co-worker for the same $75 I paid for it originally.
I’ve missed the experience of riding ever since and renewed my cycle endorsement each time I renewed my driver’s license in hopes that I would someday ride again.
Finally, forty years later, I bought my new toy.
It started as a whim when I began researching motorcycles online. Since I hadn’t ridden in 40 years, I looked at “beginner’s” bikes, such as the Honda Rebel (250cc), Yamaha V-Star 250 and the Suzuki TU 250X. The lightweight and easy-to-ride bikes appealed to me, and I headed to my local dealer “just to look”.
I arrived at Motorcity Powersports in Pontiac, Michigan on a cool Friday morning in October last year. Ryan, my salesperson, spent time with me and, after some trial sitting; we determined that the 250s weren't a good fit for me.
“Just what do you want to do with this motorcycle?” Ryan asked, a very intelligent question in my mind.
I told Ryan that I wanted to ride around town and take a few jaunts on two lane highways here and up north. Freeways were not on my agenda.
Ryan told me that he had just the thing for me and pulled up a new 2013 Suzuki Boulevard S40.
The S40 is a classically styled bike with a 40 cubic inch (650cc) single-cylinder engine (often called a thumper), a laid-back cruiser riding position, and a cool orange and black paint job.
I hit the bank, called the insurance agent, and returned Saturday with a check. They delivered the bike the same afternoon.
For the next two months, whenever the temperature was over 45°F, I was out on the bike. Since I hadn’t ridden a motorcycle in 40 years, I spent most of my time riding around the neighborhood so I could get a feel for the clutch, the gear shifter and getting needed practice riding the bike. I have to say, though, it was the most fun I’d had riding a road in years.
On Christmas Eve, 2014 I took my last ride of the year. I had the toy that I affectionately named “Thumper” winterized and placed in storage for the season.
I then looked forward to spring with great anticipation, but that is another blog.
© Tim Marks and Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved
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