Life and Transportation

Yes, this is the first post in quite a while.  I mostly have no excuse.  I've started my second semester of graduate school, trying to get life organized after the Christmas holiday, took a a class offered through our church, working on taxes, and trying to take a respectable inventory of our house.  None of these really seemed worth writing about (at least by the time I ended up having time to actually do the writing.)So what is the cause of break the silence?  Not something important  or monumental but, rather, something fun.

I got a motorcycle.

Just got back from looking at it with Katie and though the owner needs a few days to do title paperwork, I am effectively the new owner of a 2001 Honda Rebel.  Compared to the scooter I've been riding, this things seems to be a dream.  It has all kinds of great features like gears, high-beams, readily available parts, etc.  It even sounds so much better than the scooter.  The bike is definitely on the smaller side for somebody my height. but I on the quick ride up and down the street it seemed to work for me.

Speaking of which, shifting on a motorcycle is going to take a little getting used to.  My scooter has not discrete gears so I never had to worry about shifting; just "twist and go" as they say.  Now I'm having to work a clutch and a shift pedal; there's not indicator of what gear you're in except for a light that comes on when you're in neutral.  I might have to toodle around the neighborhood of the seller to get the hang of things before I make the journey home.  As the seller commented to Katie while I was making a fool of myself on my test ride: "He's a bit out of practice, isn't he?" 

Yes, yes I am.

So what of the scooter?  My plans are to get it back in running shape and sell it.  I don't know how long that will take as the repair will involve removing the engine block.  In fact, the length of time it might take to repair it was a major factor in deciding to purchase a motorcycle.  Without my scooter life was considerably more complicated in getting both Katie and I where we needed to be.  Though purchasing a new bike may seem like overkill, the price was right and if/when Katie revokes my motorcycle privileges, I should be able to sell it for close to my purchase price.  

Was it a mistake to purchase the scooter?  I've thought about this over these past three years of ownership and am divided on it.  It wasn't a mistake in that the purchase price and operating cost of the scooter has still been much less than that of owning a second car.  (At 70 mpg, insurance at ~$150 a year and not more than $200 for parts total; the scooter has been very affordable to own and operate.)  Could I have made a better purchase with that money?  Yes, undoubtedly.  For a first bike, though, everything worked out fine.  I've learned about motorcycle riding and ownership and financially it has worked out in our favor.  Whatever I can make in selling the scooter is going to be gravy.

Not much more to say right now.  I'll post pictures when the deal is done.