Riding In Style

No, it is not what you think!  Just sit back and enjoy this tale.

Back when Vilinda and I got married, I mentioned that someday I would like to learn to ride a motorcycle.  At that time I worked with a guy that was a rider and always had motorcycle magazines laying around that I started reading.  Cycle, Cycle World, Road Rider, and the AMA magazine were my world.  I read everything I could about motorcycles. 

Finally my day arrived and in February 1984 I picked up my brand new 1982 Honda Silverwing Interstate.  Over the next two years, I put 24,000 miles on that bike.  Then we moved back to Chicago and with that traffic, I found myself riding less.  Even after moving back to Wisconsin the next year, the Silverwing sat more than it rode.  So in 1991 I sold it to help pay bills while Vilinda was in nursing school.  The promise was made that we would move up to a Goldwing someday.

Well, finally in 1999, I was able to locate a very nice 18,000 mile 1995 Aspencade, Candy Apply Red naturally!  Vilinda and I enjoyed that ride for seven years, putting 77,000 miles on it in the process. 

Now I am getting to the lucky part.

October 19, 2006 the phone rings at work.  It was Beloit Honda.  Steve made small talk for a minute and then says "hey, you need to come down here and see what I have, I think you will like it."

No, I don't!  I am very happy with Big Red and am not planning to make a change for another few years.

"I think you need to do yourself a favor and at least come and look at it"

So I did.  When I got there, in the service department was sitting a 2005 Bright Blue Metallic Goldwing.  Man, it looked pretty!  "Curtis, go ahead, have a seat on it"  No, I don't wanna do that either, but soon there I was enjoying the seat of this Wing.  "Uh, Curtis, how many miles on this two year old bike?"  I turn on the key and see 3697 on the odometer!  This baby was brand new!!  I could not believe it, what a crime.  A thoroughbred of this caliber only being exercised 1800 miles a year.  Sad.

So, I asked Steve if I could take it home to show Vilinda.  He agreed to let me joy ride it for the evening, but I had to bring it back the next day at Noon.  I pull into the driveway, and Vilinda comes out to look it over after hearing me honk.  "I knew you were up to something"  Honest honey, this one found ME!  Well, even though it was in the 30s that night, I managed to put almost 100 miles on it before parking it for the night.  The whole time I was thinking, how am I going to make this one mine . . . then it hit me!  I had the answer, now I just had to convince Vilinda that it was the right thing to do.  When I explained my plan, she said "get it!"

I called Steve the next morning, and told him that I was not bringing the bike back at noon, but I would see him at 5PM after work.  Steve was willing to work with me as I gathered the funds to pay for this bike.  The deal was completed and the Bluesmobile is now in my garage.

That is what I call "getting lucky"!  What were you thinking?

© 2007 Riding In Style