I've caught the bug again. Way back in 1991 I chose to become a motorcyclist. I had been watching the movie Top Gun on VHS that year, and seeing Maverick cruise around on his Kawasaki Ninja 900 struck a chord in me. The September issue of Car & Driver helped also, with a short article titled The Two-Wheel Alternative.
By April of '92 everything came together, and a leftover '89 Ninja 250 was in the garage. After a year on the mini-Ninja, she was traded in for another leftover model, a '90 Kawasaki Zephyr 550. That bike was a major motivator to move from Cleveland, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee. The weather is much nicer, and allows for a longer riding season. I took that Zephyr all over Tennessee, riding with a Rider Magazine club called the Tennessee Motorcycle Riders. By '98 the bike was just sitting, a combination of financial and life decisions leading to a shift in priorities, and a little while later she was sold. Thus ended my two-wheeled adventure, until now...
The opportunity recently came to purchase a running bike for cheap, and I took it. She's ugly, a 1981 Suzuki GS250T commuter bike, but she's all mine. The previous owner was no genius when it came to wiring, and I've spent the last couple of weeks ironing out all his "modifications".
I've always liked naked bikes, especially the cafe racer style, and I hope to transform the 'Zook into something along those lines. There's a lot to do, and new parts have been arriving for the job, so stay tuned for some progress. There's a lot of builders out there that I'm taking my inspiration from.
It's been fourteen years since I've ridden, so I took a MSF course to refresh myself on the basics. I can't wait to ride!
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