Saturday, February 27, 2016

Happy Weekend!

Good morning from the Springfield Starbucks on S Campbell!
I am here bright and early this morning so that I can be in Springfield this morning to pick up my first ever Craig's list purchase.

I finally pulled the trigger and bought a big boy bike!

Yesterday afternoon I bought a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 LT. It was late in the day and I didn't have a way to get it home so I rode to work with Chris this morning and walked the 1.2 miles to Starbucks. I'll enjoy a few cups of coffee, play around on the Chromebook for a little while, read a bit and then contact the seller and make the 2.2 mile walk to his house to get my bike.

I'll post pics on Instagram which will also show up on Twitter and Facebook. You can find me at @magicianary. I may even edit this post this afternoon to include a pic or two!

I hope to take a few road trips over the coming spring and summer months. There is a Missouri Baptist Bikers Fellowship (MBBF) that I've already been in touch with that has a ride scheduled in Branson MO in May. Branson is only a few miles down the highway from me so I wouldn't need to spend the money on lodging. Maybe I will join them and give it a whirl. Last year they did mission work along the I-29 corridor north of Kansas City.

Although I had really been wanting a new bike -- an Indian Scout -- it was hard for me to justify spending the money on a new bike when there are so many other things that I would also like to purchase. I know that I will not be as cool nor as badass as a Harley rider, but nobody has ever put me in the cool/badass category anyways. I will just have to be happy with being an un-cool, not so badass motorcycle rider.

It's a little embarrassing to say this, but I finally got around to actually taking the test for the motorcycle endorsement on my drivers license -- yesterday! I got my permit over a year ago, but never went for the skills test until yesterday. I just never took the time to do it and wasn't in any hurry to get it taken care of. I figured with the freedom that a bigger bike gives me, it would serve me well to get rid of the restrictions that a permit places on a rider and get the endorsement.

As a bonus -- it's supposed to be sunny and near 70 this weekend in the Ozarks! I plan to spend some time on the highway getting used to the new ride!

Be safe out there...
...and keep an eye out for us motorcycle riders!

John <><

Bike has a new home! Here it is in my driveway!



3 comments:

Mike said...

Couldn't figure out why you were up so early. Oh, to go buy a motorcycle! That's OK then.

Kevin Gilmore said...

It looks like a sweet ride, John. How many miles are on it? I'd probably do an oil change real soon unless you're sure it's been done recently. Enjoy!

John A Hill said...

Only 18,800 miles and it has been very well taken care of. I'll have the oil changed and everything checked out soon, though.
I added about 100 miles today -- it was a great day for a ride!