Been wanting to ride since I was a kid, but "never got around to it." Used to ride minibikes a little back in the day, and have done some ATV riding in recent years, but never owned a motorsickle or got a license to do so.
Once I sold the ol' Mustang last winter and moved into an old pickup that I got for free, the stage was set to finally get a bike. Main reason was money... when I moved out of Newark, I was suddenly confronted with fueling the truck for 60-to-100-mile round trips to work several times a week. At about 13mpg, the truck is not suitable for that, unless the weather was lousy or I had to haul something.
So, fire lit under my ass finally, I started shopping. A friend told me he had a very low-mileage '87 Honda Rebel 450 that had been in storage for years... wanted $500, and I reckoned it'd just need new ties and a tune-up. Was going to see it a couple weeks ago, but he had to cancel the meetup. Meanwhile, other biker friends had warned me that for my proposed commutes, which include a lot of high-speed riding on interstate highways, the 450 might not be a good choice. So I started thinking about, and looking for, something a little bigger, and maybe more suited for highway commuting (and touring, as I really want to do that).
Saw an ad for a 1982 Honda 500 Silverwing, sort of a baby Goldwing, with 16K on the clock, fairing, trunk and panniers, asking price $700, ridden regularly up until very recently, so I went to look at it.
For those who don't know (and I sure didn't until I saw this ad), the GL series (based on the CX) are pretty interesting machines: transverse-mounted twin with a twist in each cylinder; liquid-cooled, shaft-driven, and equipped with dual disc brakes up front and air-assisted shocks (including the "Pro-Link" progressive damping single shock on the swingarm. They are a little weak in midrange power, but love to scream along at 8-9000 rpm all day on the highway. A tad top-heavy, but curb weight's just over 500 lbs. They have a reputation for being fun to ride, sturdy and reliable, and parts are plentiful. The rear trunk is interchangeable with a pillion seat (which I don't have)... many GL owners have put an extender on that allows pillion seat and trunk to be mounted at the same time (trunk behind both seats). Panniers and trunk can hold up to 20 lbs. each, and the panniers have retractable handles so you can carry 'em around like suitcases. All the pannier latches and the mounting latches are lockable, and they all work off the ignition key, as does the fuel cap. Typical clever Honda stuff, but all with that simple, robust Honda quality.
Long story short, I bought it... for only $400! Needs new tires for sure, the fairing is damaged and tank dented slightly from being dropped or hit (fairing broke off its mount on one side and got pushed into the tank), and it may need work on the charging system (I'll know when the new battery I ordered arrives). But with a donor battery, it starts right up, idles well (now that I have adjusted the throttle stop screw), goes into gear, and stops (brakes are good; front calipers were recently serviced). All fluids look good, Doesn't leak, doesn't overheat, fan works, all lights work. It even has a radio/cassette unit that works, but I may leave that off permanantly, as it is pretty heavy and might be an unwelcome distraction (more than one biker friend has warned me to ditch it).
I have a small dirt oval cul-de-sac between my house and the landlords', so I've been puttering around that a little, to see if I am comfy on the bike. I am. It's just perfect for a beginner my size, and my research indicates it will be very happy at high revs on the highway, but manageable on city streets or the 1000-foot dirt driveway I have to negotiate every time I venture from home. The fairing and awesome hard panniers will make it very useful for commuting, shopping, and touring. And unlike that beast of a pickup, it will get about 50mpg!!!
It'll be a few weeks before I have enough cash in hand to bring it in for new tires and a general going-over, but I found a shop nearby that left a good impression on me. Depending on their estimate, I may do some of the work myself (I'm already well into repairing the damaged fairing, a fairly straightforward fiberglass job). Meanwhile, I have to go take a local MSF basic rider course, which will allow me to waive the state road test and get legal to ride (and yeah, I should learn a thing or two, lol).
It's definitely a paradigm shift, going to two wheels, and I will admit my immediate plans for riding are pretty ambitious... but I am confident I can move ahead safely. I have a few friends in the general area who will be happy to come ride with me on local trips while I learn the ropes; they have all given me lots of good advice already. Wish me luck, and those of you who ride feel free to chime in!
I've taken a few phone snaps of it, but only one came out clearly... when I get her serviced and put back together, I will post more. And if anyone's curious, I can upload some pics of the fairing repair work.
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I've averaged almost 45 mpg on my little Honda Jazz 5-door hatchback since I've had it. 
People Eating Tasty Animals.
