I bought a motorcycle. Any other Giant Bomb riders out there?
By JJWeatherman 23 Comments
After years of driving vehicles that didn't belong to me, I've finally purchased my own—and it's a motorcycle. A Honda 919, to be exact.
I decided I wanted a motorcycle a while back, and it took a while to make it a reality. I had to sign up for a motorcycle safety and training course that would provide me with a completion card, which bypasses the skills test for a motorcycle endorsement at the DMV. The class also saves me money on insurance, so I figured it was the best route to take. There was a wait list for the class, but I eventually made it through that three day extravaganza. After I paid some fees and obtained my new license, I went out looking for a bike. Craigslist was my best friend. After scouring it for quite some time, I found the bike you see above, sent out a hopeful text message to the owner offering slightly less than the asking price, and the rest is history.
I haven't been on it a ton yet, but thus far it's been astoundingly fun to ride. I'm doing my best to ride as safely as possible, especially as I'm still a beginner learning a new bike. That said, it's easy to quickly find myself ten miles per hour over the speed limit.
I've been acquiring gear piecemeal, and I almost have everything I feel I should. I'm waiting on a jacket to arrive, which should be Wednesday. Living in Oregon, I also am going to need some rain pants that I can throw on over whatever I'm regularly wearing. But I have a nice helmet, comfy gloves, and even a backpack with some nice motorcycle-friendly features.
Right now my biggest concern is having the thing stolen, so I'm looking into some disc locks and things of that nature. I actually spent way too long reading a Reddit forum where people asked questions to an ex motorcycle thief. The takeaway was that if someone wants to steal your bike, they're going to. The best you can do is to make the process as long and painful as possible for them, and hope that after assessing the risk, they choose to move on. Luckily my 919 doesn't fit the description of the most valued bikes to steal. My bike is both old and basic enough to hopefully not draw too much attention. It's no Ninja or CBR.
Anyway, I'm pretty excited about owning a motorcycle. I look forward to improving my riding skills and enjoying many years of blissful riding.
As the title suggests, I'd love to hear about any fellow Giant Bomb riders' experiences! What kinds of bikes do you guys ride?
23 Comments