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I just penned an email to the guy who sold me my current Aprilia Futura.  His condition for selling it to me was that if I ever wanted to sell the bike that I would contact him first.  You can see where this is going…

The bottom line is that I haven’t ridden the bike since November 4th…when I got a bullshit ticket.  The two main reasons are simple:  the new found love for the dirt & the ticket.  I have been trying to go off-roading every weekend since the new year and have almost succeeded.  I’m having a total ball with the dirt bike and I only have to go about twenty minutes away from my house. 

Second, no cop is going to jump out from behind a cactus with a radar gun.  I’ll admit it that part of the enjoyment of riding is blazing through the twisties…at speeds that would likely get me thrown in jail.  The rub is that I can’t get tickets with my job, working for an auto manufacturer in an evaluation group.  Driving company cars is part of the job and big fat tickets will eliminate me from the ability to drive company vehices and in turn eliminate me from the ability to do my job.  In the end, its just not worth it.

I think for me to revisit the road, I need to become a better tourist.  Don’t get me wrong, I love that Futura.  The problem is that the bike handles so well for a sport-tourer that I treat it as a sport bike.  I’m cool on the highways and the straight stuff, but I lack the discipline in the twisties to simply cruise through them.

Hmph.  This is a tough one.  I have not been sans street bike in almost twenty years, but I’m pretty damn close.  Its not a matter of money as the bike only costs about $300 per year including plates and insurance.  Rather its a matter of space and pragmatism.  Space bacuase I’m always looking for more garage space.  Pragmatism because the bike is not custom…if I ever feel the need to replace it, I can simply go get another one.

I deleted the email to the guy who sold me the bike.  I just couldn’t send it yet.  Not because I am not wanting to put out a feeler, but because I’m not absolute on my decision to sell yet.  See, as a proud member of the two-wheeled brotherhood, I will not take the chance that this guy has been waiting for my call.  The feeling of excitement of knowing that you may get your bike back that you rregretted ever selling, only to have it not available is no less severe than getting kicked in the balls.  And having been kicked in the balls by Jim Chumchai in grade school, its not fun.