SilverHound
Well-known member
Sorry but this is a little long and mushy. I usually don’t have any emotion towards inanimate objects. I have owned and sold numerous bikes over the years and have missed some a little after they were gone like my Blackbird but for the most part have just moved on to the next new shiny sparkly toy without remorse or further thought. I have to admit though that seeing my ’08 FJR leave on a trailer last night gave me a slightly greater pang of sadness.
It didn’t have a lot of miles on it, 16,802 to be exact. By FJR standards it was barely broken in. But those were important and memorable miles. About 7500 of them were the result of my cross-country trip from PA to CA and back…alone. It was probably not the wisest choice to leave for that epic trip in January of 2013 but I had the time and a window of opportunity that I didn’t know if or when would present itself again so I took it. The weather was not cooperative. Rain, wind, snow, ice, more snow and temps down to 19 degrees slowed my trip on the way out but I made it. I felt that leaving the bike in CA until May and then returning would ensure a less weather-eventful trip back home. Snow in the Rocky Mountains, ridiculously strong winds across the plains of northeastern Colorado and into Nebraska and then steady rains throughout the mid-west while dodging tornadoes and super cells proved that theory wrong.
Through it all though, the FJR never so much as hiccupped, hesitated, protested or resisted. It enthusiastically jumped to life each and every time I pushed the start button. It powered my heated gear, shook off the ice coating, shed the rain, stayed upright in the crosswinds, avoided any tire wrecking debris and didn’t cast off any pieces or parts along the way. I reluctantly admit that during the course of this trek I did on occasion find myself talking to the bike with encouraging words, congratulations and gratitude. I don’t think one could avoid bonding with a machine under these circumstances.
For everything there is a season though and I simply could not resist the allure and newness of a ’14 FJR ES so when the new redhead took up residence in my garage I knew it was time to sell the old FJR. With this sale however I not only hoped for a decent price but also that it would go to someone who would appreciate it like I had. So when the new prospective buyer contacted me despite 5” of newly fallen snow on the first day of spring I felt at least this guy “get’s it” and has the optimism and desire to anticipate the joys that will be brought forth with this bike once the weather becomes a bit more cooperative this season. This feeling was reinforced after meeting him, discussing the bike, seeing his enthusiasm, understanding and appreciation of what the FJR was and how I had lovingly and fastidiously maintained it. It was all brought home when instead of coming back the following weekend to pick it up he instead called me back two days later to ask if he could get it right away to which I gladly agreed.
We loaded the FJR onto his trailer and both shared a concerned nervousness as to whether it was secured properly for the trip. It is his FJR now and I can only hope that he has the same positive experiences that I did with the raven. The new FJR gives me solace but I will miss the old one just a little more than any other bike I have owned in the past.
It didn’t have a lot of miles on it, 16,802 to be exact. By FJR standards it was barely broken in. But those were important and memorable miles. About 7500 of them were the result of my cross-country trip from PA to CA and back…alone. It was probably not the wisest choice to leave for that epic trip in January of 2013 but I had the time and a window of opportunity that I didn’t know if or when would present itself again so I took it. The weather was not cooperative. Rain, wind, snow, ice, more snow and temps down to 19 degrees slowed my trip on the way out but I made it. I felt that leaving the bike in CA until May and then returning would ensure a less weather-eventful trip back home. Snow in the Rocky Mountains, ridiculously strong winds across the plains of northeastern Colorado and into Nebraska and then steady rains throughout the mid-west while dodging tornadoes and super cells proved that theory wrong.
Through it all though, the FJR never so much as hiccupped, hesitated, protested or resisted. It enthusiastically jumped to life each and every time I pushed the start button. It powered my heated gear, shook off the ice coating, shed the rain, stayed upright in the crosswinds, avoided any tire wrecking debris and didn’t cast off any pieces or parts along the way. I reluctantly admit that during the course of this trek I did on occasion find myself talking to the bike with encouraging words, congratulations and gratitude. I don’t think one could avoid bonding with a machine under these circumstances.
For everything there is a season though and I simply could not resist the allure and newness of a ’14 FJR ES so when the new redhead took up residence in my garage I knew it was time to sell the old FJR. With this sale however I not only hoped for a decent price but also that it would go to someone who would appreciate it like I had. So when the new prospective buyer contacted me despite 5” of newly fallen snow on the first day of spring I felt at least this guy “get’s it” and has the optimism and desire to anticipate the joys that will be brought forth with this bike once the weather becomes a bit more cooperative this season. This feeling was reinforced after meeting him, discussing the bike, seeing his enthusiasm, understanding and appreciation of what the FJR was and how I had lovingly and fastidiously maintained it. It was all brought home when instead of coming back the following weekend to pick it up he instead called me back two days later to ask if he could get it right away to which I gladly agreed.
We loaded the FJR onto his trailer and both shared a concerned nervousness as to whether it was secured properly for the trip. It is his FJR now and I can only hope that he has the same positive experiences that I did with the raven. The new FJR gives me solace but I will miss the old one just a little more than any other bike I have owned in the past.