Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayhem like Me
I have done both, knee dragging and sport touring and they go to different moods.
Sport riding is fun and challenging.
Sport touring allowed me to enjoy the open air sun on my face and a sprited run through beautiful scenery.
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I fully agree. My Aprilia Tuono is my sport touring bike. You can ride in relative comfort and when you get to where you're going, you can still cut the curve. Or disconnect the lights and hit the track. Then put everything together and pack up to ride back.
When I was younger, I started out with the Kawasaki EX500 (aka Ninja 500). Didn't take any class so I crashed a lot, but I was too macho to admit that I couldn't ride. Nosiree.
Then I went to a Dyna Glide because only real riders and real men ride Harleys. The fact that it was a slow, heavy, ungainly beast didn't deter me. Then at Daytona Beach, I saw my first Ducati in red. That stirred something in me so I traded the heavy beast in for an Italian stallion - a PASO 750.
Sold them all when I got out of Uncle Sam's service and went to college. College was done, worked for a while, paid off the loans, bought me a convertible sports car but something is still missing. The call of the road beckoned, so I took the MSF (I don't wise up much, but I do a bit now and then) and it was a revelation. Told myself that I'm old enough to know better, so I'd best get me a geezer glide so that I'd appear responsible. Didn't want to wear vests and assless chaps so I went with a German geezer glide - a BMW Rockster (still have it). After a few months of "cruising", I still felt something was missing. I'm not getting my rocks off. Riding in a straight line is just simply boring.
Some of the dudes told me to go canyon carving. Wow, what a revelation!!! So, now I gotta have a new bike. But what? Ducati? Nah, too common. Aprilia...hmm...Italian, red, V-twin, reliable - a bright red Tuono found her home with me.
Next thing I know, I was canyon carving, commuting and touring on my Aprilia with the BMW being well neglected.
Then some dude took me to the track. Wow, what a revelation!!! Next thing I know, there's an Aprilia Mille in the garage.
Then some dude took me offroading a bit. Wow, what a revelation!!! But I don't want to buy a true blued offroad machine that has to be carted in the back of a pickup truck or towed on a trailer. Next thing I know, there's a KTM Adventure in my garage.
Then I saw a bunch of cute chicks riding around on scooters. Hmm...lightweight, small, easy on the gas and maintenance. Next thing I know there's an Aprilia buzzbomb in my garage.
One day I went to a 2-smokes gathering, checking out the Aprilia RS250, the Suzuki RG500, ad infinitum. Took a ride on an Aprilia RS250 and...WOow, what a revelation!!! Next thing I know there's an Aprilia RS125 (1 out of 150 ever imported) in my garage; slightly massged, of course.
I'm getting older and my homeys are getting older but we can't seem to get off the fast bikes mentality. Oh well, one of these years we'll grow up and get us some geezer glides.