GSXR - Phase two

Now that I have the 750, what would I do with my 1100? Obviously, I could continue on with both bikes on the road. I certainly know many other people with multiple road bikes. In fact, most of the people I know who own motorcycles own multiple motorcycles. There are other motorcycles that I hope to acquire some day -- new, late model and decades old -- and I fully expect to have more than one bike registered most of the time.

Point being that while I could keep it on the road, I probably wouldn't ride it too much and I'd feel badly about that. I had this mental picture of my bike sitting neglected in a garage gathering dust.

And then a couple of years ago, back at our last house, I came up with another idea.

What if I retired this bike? What if... I put it in my home office? How cool would that be? I don't know anybody who's done that... What if this bike that I've enjoyed for so many years came inside and was effectively immortalized? Could I do that? I think I could. I think I will. I took the bike to the shop that I bought it from in 1991 and told them my plan. They prepped it for indefinite storage and detailed the bike.

The only door wide enough to come through is the french door around back. Plus, it has the benefit of only one stair so it was easy to put ramps from the ground up to the threshold.

Roll up the carpet and push the couch, chairs and table out of the way and the bike just sailed right in, with far less effort than I ever thought. A little maneuvering in the living room and then roll into the kitchen. It took some effort to get the bike around the Island so that it was in position to back through the dining room, past the front door and into place in my office, but the entire process took all of 5 minutes to complete.

It took two tries to get the bike up on the rear wheel stand as close as possible to the front windows. Now just try and tell me that isn't cool.

I have spent a huge amount of time admiring this bike while it was not moving. I've sat in my garages of numerous houses over the years, either on this bike, or off to the side, admiring the lines, the colors, the posture. I now sit in my home office and do the same thing. Constantly. Whenever I'm in the room. And this can add up to a lot of time on days when I work from home. I often will sit on it with my headset on, looking out the window, while I'm on work conference calls. 

Indoors, the presence of this bike seems greater.

Go fast, look sharp

It has been quite some time since I've gotten a brand new street bike; about 15 years. Riding Joann's bike and taking out the latest and greatest at Americade every year shows me how far motorcycles have evolved. It was long past time for an update.

Fresh from the dealership, with all of seven miles on the digital odometer. This is state-O-the-Art. 750cc's of perfection. Quoting the cover of the December 2006 issue of Sport Rider "BEST Sportbike Ever?" Hmm, could be.

When you set them in proximity, it quickly becomes apparent that a few things have changed. From a purely styling standpoint, the newest generation of supersports have adopted a Bird of Prey look that is pointier, airier and cleaner looking.

Beauty shot