Online Scrambler Bargain

 

A coworker of mine told me today that his brother found a great deal on a Ducati Scrambler online and traveled all the way to Houston, Texas to pick it up. While I think this bike is a great buy, I tend to be leery about purchasing motorcycles without seeing them in person, even new motorcycles.

 

Many times, a picture will not make an accurate representation. That's why going to motorcycle shows like the one I attended earlier this month can be extremely beneficial. A case in point was the Moto Guzzi MGX-21  that was at the show this year. My dad read an article about this bike in Motorcyclist magazine and was strongly considering one of these for his next motorcycle. After seeing it in person and sitting on it, he quickly realized that it didn't look as good as the photos and was quite uncomfortable.

 

 

You also never really know how comfortable a motorcycle is until you ride it. I used to dislike Harley Davidson Heritage Softails. However, after I rode one, I quickly discovered that it was the most comfortable motorcycle I had ever been on (I'm still not sold on the looks of that one, though). I recommend traveling to dealerships that allow you to demo new motorcycles. I discovered that my current bike was the one for me during a demo ride.

 

If you find a steal online and are 90% sure it's the right bike for you, I'd say buy it. If nothing else, you should be able to keep or make money on a resale. But, if the deal isn't that great, pass on it until you see the motorcycle in person.

 

"Necessity never made a good bargain." - Benjamin Franklin



2017 Chicago Motorcycle Show

 

I had the pleasure of traveling to the Progressive International Motorcycle Show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. Here are some photos from the show.

A 2017 Ural

 

 

A 2017 Indian Darkhorse

 

 

 

A 2017 Ducati Scrambler Café Racer

 

 

A 2017 Ducati Monster 797

 

 

 

A 2017 Ducati Scrambler

 

 

 

A 2017 Moto Guzzi MGX-21

 

 

A 2017 Kawasaki H2

 

 

A 2017 Kawasaki H2R (This one claims 326 HP! It's only available for track use.)

 

A Custom BMW by Roland Sands

 

 

Buy Used

 

This is a great article that recommends motorcycles for beginners to purchase. I like the way it begins with asking the question of what type of riding a person would enjoy the most (cruising, sport, dirt, adventure etc.). Then it gives some pretty good advice on deciding how much to spend, including insurance payments. Also, the motorcycles detailed are pretty good, nothing overly big or overly powered. However, one gripe I have is that this article only specifies new bikes and only has a short paragraph at the end about possibly choosing a used one.

I would never recommend a motorcycle straight from the showroom for beginners. Even if someone can swing it financially, it just ends up being a waste 9 times out of 10. My reasoning is partially due to the fact that a new rider has huge chance of crashing their first bike (which is mentioned in the article). My main argument is that I truly feel that if a rider enjoys riding a motorcycle that no one thinks is cool, they will be a motorcyclist for life.

I know this goes completely against any dealership's stance and the Harley Davidson commercials we see on television. The lifestyle is what's being sold here. But, when the novelty fades and friends aren't checking out the bike anymore, chances are that it'll be rotting in storage instead of being ridden. The first question we should ask people interested in buying their first motorcycle is if they'd be open to riding a ten year old bike for a year before buying a new one. If the answer is no, then they probably shouldn't buy a motorcycle.

"One kid's old, used up equipment is another kid's brand-new, awesome, awesome equipment." - Bode Miller

Getting Old and Drinking Beer

 

This weekend I got together with some of my closest friends. We've been close for nearly twenty years and have known each other for basically all of our lives. Of course, we discussed motorcycles, buying new ones, building them, fixing them, and how we miss riding them in the winter. However, after drinking a few Busch Lights, our conversation took an interesting turn.

We started discussing what the best time to visit the grocery store would be to avoid the large crowds. A couple of us had been shopping that day and it was nightmarishly hectic. As we went about arguing whether it was better to shop early Sunday mornings or to wait until after work on a week day, one of my friends yelled, "Stop!" He continued, "Are we really arguing what the best time to shop for groceries is? Christ, we are getting old!"

All of us were speechless for a moment and then we burst out in laughter. Ten years ago we'd never have that conversation...We are getting old! Then, we started talking about the good old days and ,of course, motorcycles. Next time we meet up, we'll have to make a rule to not talk about grocery shopping!

"Getting old is a fascinating thing. The older you get, the older you want to get." - Ralph Waldo Emerson