History

The saga of my KZ, and my discovery of the joys of motorcycle mechanics, after a lifetime of technical ignorance ("Carburetor? That's something you make coffee with, right? Oh wait, that's a percolator ... D'oh!")

PART 1 : SUMMER 2003 - GETTING THE ITCH

I had come into a bit of cash in 2002, and on an impulse had bought a 50cc two-stroke scooter - a Kymco People 50 - and had been tooling around town on that for awhile. What a blast! Just one trouble, is that even on the back roads of New Haven, I'd frequently find myself with a line of cars behind, impatiently angling to get past, while I buzzed along in front. I upgraded the cylinder with a 70cc kit, and added a larger 19mm carb, which had the result of giving me great acceleration but not a heck of a lot more top speed. I will say this of the Kymco, it's a great little bike if you don't need to go more than about 45mph - reliable, peppy, with good gas mileage and great styling. But by the summer of 2003 I was really feeling the need for something with a little more power.

In June, on the recommendation of biking friend Bret, I took the 2 1/2 day Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course. This was with two intentions - first, to try to get the hang of operating a 'real' motorcycle, as opposed to a twist-n-go scoot. Second, to give me the opportunity to ride a motorcycle for a couple of days to see if I would really like it. As Bret pointed out, even if at the end of the class I decided that a 'real' motorcycle was not for me, I could still go back to my Kymco, with a little more knowledge and experience to improve my riding. As it turned out, I loved it ...

The MSF classes are an excellent resource! $150 for the full class, motorcycle provided. The bikes were mostly 250cc machines - Hondas, Suzukis and a couple of Kawas. Not in perfect condition - a couple were dropped (not by me!) during the course I took, so you can imagine that after they've been through a few classes, they invariably end up a little scraped up - but still well-maintained and solid. I got through the course, which in Connecticut also counts as a waiver for the DMV ridden test. A quick trip to the local DMV office and a run through the knowledge test later, and I emerged triumphant with a new 'M' designation on my license. I was (legally at least) ready for a real bike!

Only trouble was, I was broke. No cash left from that 2002 stash, and no sign of much coming in for awhile. So what was I going to do about a bike? During the class, the instructor, Ted, had recommended that first-time riders might want to start out with an older, used bike - less painful if it goes down once or twice and gets scraped up while you're learning the ropes - and he claimed that used bikes could be picked up for $500 or less, if you keep your eyes open. With this in mind, I started saving pennies and scanning the local classifieds. I also started doing a little research, and decided that an older Japanese bike, probably a Honda, would be best. I thought around the 500cc range would probably be good - enough power to keep me going for awhile, but not too daunting for a first-time rider. I came across a few possibilities in the $700-$1000 range - but that was still a little too much at that point. At the end of the summer of 2003 I had $250 and no leads, but I was hopeful of finding a bike in the Fall, once riding season was coming to an end.

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