Friday, April 10, 2009

Wow...Is This Ever Uncharacterstic of Me...

So browsing through the latest issue of Motorcyclist magazine I realized something. I kept going back to a picture of something that I shouldn't be going to. I kept going back to a picture of a cruiser.

That's not really that horrible, I guess, considering that the GS-1000 is kind of like a cross between a standard and a cruiser, and the style really works for me.

The really horrible part was exactly WHAT cruiser it was. A Sportster 883. Yes, that's right, a Harley Davidson. For as long as I've been interested in motorcycles, Harleys have literally done nothing for me. I have always liked sportier bikes. I wouldn't say that I've liked pure sportbikes, like Gixxers and such, but I really have liked bikes that have a sportier stance and are geared more towards performance than anything else. I've alwasy been keen on naked bikes. Things like a Suzuki SV-650. The SV-650 is a pure sportbike, but without the fairings, so it doesn't really LOOK like a sportbike. I have also had a soft spot for dual sport motorcycles. Things like a KLR-650 or a KLR-250. Those are Kawasaki bikes that are perfect for lots of types of riding. On road. Off road. Dirt road. Whatever you want, a KLR can go there and do it with relative ease. And I've heard that they provide nothing but smiles. I have also really liked the idea of a SuMo the last couple of years. That's Super Motard for those of you that don't pay attention to the latest fads in the two wheeled world. What a SuMo is, basically, is a pure dirtbike with some 17" street wheels glued onto it. So it's got dirtbike style acceleration and handling, but on the street. They also look really cool to me. For just pure fun, I imagine that it doesn't get any better than a SuMo. This is a Suzuki DRZ-400SM. A bike made by Suzuki and from the factory as a street legal SuMo.But man, the more and more I look at it, the more and more I like that Harley. Maybe it's the chrome. Maybe it's the fact that it's just a pure and absolute no thrills motorcycle. Maybe it's the fact that it's a status symbol. Maybe it's just the fact that my tastes in bikes is changing.

I'm writing it off to the fact that I just turned 30...yah, that's it, I'm getting old and things like Harleys are becoming more appealing to me.

But man, is it ever pretty...

1 comment:

Doug said...

I saw one of the smaller Harleys the other day.
And you are right. They look good.
Since all the riding I ever did was off road as a kid, I generally like the lighter bikes too.