Still shoppin' & CX500

On of the reasons I focused on Triumph's "new classics" in my motorcycle search was the overall package they offered; new parts and modern reliability built into classic-looking designs. They aren't overpriced and while the dealership network for Triumph isn't as comprehensive as Harley-Davidson or the Japanese manufacturers, but it's way ahead of the boutique manufacturers and everything else coming out of Europe (including BMW). For a new(ish) bike, I made the right choice.

Scramber, Thruxton, Speed Triple, & Bonneville T100 (with some ladies)
Photo from GeordieBiker.blogspot.com

But I do like the aesthetic of bikes from at least 25-30 years ago. On more than one occasion people suggested that I just get an older bike to start with. They're cheaper, a bit under-powered by today's standards, and far simpler to fix/tinker with. That notion fell dead when I came across my Bonnie at the end of my middle eastern tour and the flurry of arrangements that had to be made to reserve it. Despite being completely satisfied with the Bonneville and (up until my little crash) not planning on tinkering with it at all, I've kept looking at other bikes. It's a habit that comes from a solid year of bike shopping in my idle computer time. It would be a shame to let those skills scouring craigslist and dealer inventories rust, right? Some days I say I'm looking for a bike for Sarah, whether I'm worried about how Bonnie would handle with the extra weight or I think Sarah might enjoy driving herself. Sometimes I just want something to grind, paint, and fiddle with mechanically.

Photos from Motomucci.com

This is a customized Honda CX500 Sarah and I have taken a liking to. The CX series has a cool-looking and apparently reliable v-twin engine, with a natural riding position, and frame that could be converted for anything from touring to sporty cafe styles. This one is the personal bike and project of David Mucci over at Motomucci.com.

There have been a few CX500s to come across Craigslist around here in different operating states and prices.  There was a nice blue '81 with saddlebags that supposed ran well a bit out in the country, but I couldn't convince Sarah to go take a look before the listing disappeared. Maybe I'll have to shore up my confidence in the virtues of a second bike first, though.

Naked Goldwing: Condor

"What's this?" you say; "Honda Goldwings are fairing-encased full-dresser touring machines.  Surely there's been a mistake."  Well Goldwings are usually comfy tourers that come in conservative colors like wineberry red and metalic blue-black.  But "usually" doesn't apply to the folks that populate the online community Naked Goldwing Club.  They specialize in restorations and customizations on older Goldwings that "release the thoroughbred from the plough."

This particular machine stared out as a crusty 1000cc '76 belonging to forum member HOTT.  Behind the dirt and plastic he found this elegant cruiser waiting to be released.  Gone are the front fairing, seats, and saddlebags.  The new seat and headlight/instruments were fabricated to fit.  Everything else has been stripped down, cleaned and repainted.   The paint job is obviously custom, but takes design cues from earlier Hondas and BMWs to give it a classy retro look that befits its age.  This simple seat is probably not as comfy as the old one, but the suspension is just as smooth and the 4-cylinder boxer engine is still the king of the road.

My grandfather's '86 Goldwing is completely stock and currently does not run.  It's far too much bike for me to handle as a rider or mechanic right now (and belongs to my mom), but doing something like this would be a cool heirloom project to work on sometime down the road, either with my parents or with my own future offspring.