Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The adventure begins!

I've been looking for a good beginner motorcycle for the last year or so. I have a great love for the styling of the old 1980s bikes, so i've been searching for an early/mid '80s bike in favor of a brand new sportbike or something that I am sure to kill myself on.

A month or so ago, I found this 1981 Honda CM400 on craigslist. The list price was $1200 and I thought "maybe... but not yet."


Just last week, the price dropped to $999. Apparently nobody wants this beautiful old bike, so I'm gonna take it.

Contacted the seller and learned that it runs great, seller is a mechanic, and other than the need for a new front tire, it's ready to ride. I'm sold on it.

I have arranged to pick it up this weekend down in Cottonwood, about an hour drive from Flagstaff. They will have the new front tire ($143) on it and it will be mine for $950 cash.

Yesterday morning I spent an hour in the MVD (because Arizona can't figure out how to spell DMV) and took the test for my motorcycle permit. Cost me $7. It was a written test, 25 questions. I missed one, which comes out to a pass at 95%. I have three months to get some experience on my own motorcycle before I can take the practical exam that will earn me my real motorcycle endorsement.

In preparation, I've ordered a helmet, old school goggles, that kind of thing so I can get started on the bike. I'm sure I will get a full face helmet before too long - but I'd like to have the ability to rock the old school 80s style that belongs with the bike.

In that spirit:

We will see how that comes together. I should have everything on Saturday, though latest it could be Monday. 

This blog will serve as my adventure log as I learn how to ride a motorcycle, get into the repairs this thing will undoubtedly need, and (of course) provide plenty of photographs and perhaps some video of the everyday rides, day-trips and long road trips (I hope!). Hopefully I can preserve and log some of what it is like to get into 2 wheeled transportation and provide a glimpse to others looking into the old 80s bikes... since I haven't been able to locate anything of the sort online so far.


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