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I went back to Michigan in July of this year to tie up some family stuff and stayed with my brother for a couple of days.  My mom passed away in January of this year and we went and collected some of her personal belongings and heirlooms.  Some of that stuff was furniture…furniture that needed to be stored in my bro’s garage.

When he opened the garage, a long lost treasure was revealed.  Can you find the motorcycle?
 

Wow did that bring back a lot of memories.  I told my brother that I needed to take a picture of this sad sight.  I also called him an unworthy POS abusive owner (that’s what brothers do). 

This folks is a prestine 1984 Yamaha IT490, still in the hands of the original owner.  It has about one season, albeit a hard one, on it.  That’s all.  My brother’s riding career was abruptly ended for several years due to a road bike accident that left him with a toes to nuts cast on one leg for a long time back in 1986 (bike bought new in 1985).  I am not sure it has been ridden since.

I have a feeling this is that fate of many motorcycles, especially dirt bikes and first street bikes.  Yes, those are empty milk and laundry detergent bottles on top of that neglected machine.  My dad and I sold ours to a friend of his who had a cabin up north.  My dad sold his because he’s old.  I sold mine because two days before I moved to Arizona because I figured I would get back into riding and wanted something from the 2000’s.  Funny thing is that my dad’s bike was stored for probably ten years before selling it.  Mine was stored for a little longer with about three total rides between 1989 and 2001. 

There was something so wrong about selling those bikes quickly.  They were paid for (thanks dad), they were the most capable Japanese enduro’s of their time, and they represented a lot of memories.  Its a funny thing how those memories came back so quickly by just laying eyes on my brother’s bike. 

I cannot say that I am unhappy with my dirt bike upgrades.  in 2002, I bought a YZ426 and in late 2007, I bought a 2006 YZ450F.  Both of these machines are far superior to the IT490, but the truth is I still want my old dirt bike back.  Yes, this is regret that you are sensing.  I know the guy still, and I am sure it can be procured.  But alas, shipping it from Michigan to Arizona is just not in the cards at the moment.

What I want to know is how that bike matches up to today’s machines.  Because at twelve, an IT490 is handful.  At thirty-six, a YZ450F is a handful and I am a helluva lot more sore afterwords.

What I really wanted to say is show some respect to the elderly and retired motorcycle in the back of your garage.  Don’t make it a storage unit.  Don’t let it get cob webs.  And don’t sell it…some day…some day you might want to ride it again.