"...it's about the journey, not the destination..."

   Last summer I was looking at motorcycles on E-Bay, just checking out values of different bikes. There was an auction for a 2004 Honda FCS600 Silverwing scooter. When I first saw it the bid was $1100. I had ridden a Silverwing scooter when they came out and I remembered being  impressed. We have a Honda Helix in the garage that belongs to my wife. It is a great machine. 250 cc's, 70 mpg, 75mph top speed. It rides and handles really well,  but when I went out on it I often found myself wanting more power for passing. The 600cc Silverwing scooter solved that. Just for fun I put in a bid of   $1500 and forgot about it. A few days later I was notified that I was no longer the high bidder. I had been attracted to it because it seemed a bargain to me, but I didn't want to pay too much. I had a number of other bikes to ride!

The Silverwing on the Blue Ridge Parkway last fall

      I put in a max bid of $2000 and once again put it out of my mind, not believing I would win it. I got the scooter for $1803!!! A week later I fired up my truck and drove out to Minneapolis to pick it up. It is now one of my favorite rides! Quick, comfortable, fast (over 110mph!), practical, it gets up to 55mpg, and has a large amount of storage under the seat.
     Last fall on my annual fall trip to the Blue Ridge with my college roommates I decided to take the FCS Silverwing without telling my college buddies I had purchased it. You should have seen the look on Curtis' face when I pulled up on that scooter! It was great!

On the Blue Ridge Parkway

     On the trip I had no trouble keeping up with their BMW RTs, and was often the lead bike. Towards the end of the trip we went to western North Caroling to ride the Tail of the Dragon (318 curves in 11 miles). At the end of the Dragon I even managed to educate some sport rides about the Silverwing scooter, showing them how quick, and fast, it is! Lots of laughs!
 

Sunset at Mile Marker 418 on the Blue Ridge Parkway

"...it's about the journey, not the destination..."

     I've been motorcycling for over 50 years. In that time I have learned a few things, and made a BUNCH of mistakes. I am a touring rider, not a sport rider. What this means to me is that I feel that the real value of motorcycling is in going on trips, riding the backroads, as much as possible, meeting new people, enjoying "the journey."

cb400F Super Sport 

      While I am a touring for rider that doesn't mean I spend all day, every day on the interstate. Like most riders I love the twisties. I have 10 motorcycles in the garage, ranging from a Moto Guzzi v50 that I bought when I did my student teaching in Germany, a Honda cb400F that I bought for $250, to a Honda ST1100, a BMW R1150GS and a Honda FSC600 Silverwing scooter, my most recent purchase.

ST 1100 on the Blue Ridge Parkway

     I have ridden in Germany (when there was still a Wall!!), over much of Canada, and 46 of the 48 contiguous states. When I was younger I camped most of the time (I was BROKE!!!) but now I usually stay in motels. I really enjoy riding 200 to 300 miles a day, on "back roads," but sometimes you just have to cover miles to get where you want to be.

at Mount Rushmore

     Last summer I took a trip with my good friend Curt to the Dakotas. We rode 500 miles the first two days, which got us to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After that we rode 200 to 300 miles a day until the last day, which was another 500 mile day. You might think this is a lot, but remember the activity each day was to ride the motorcycle. We ended up doing 5,000 miles in two weeks, and had a great time.

1150GS in Florida 

     This summer I'm going to take a "..trip of a lifetime." I leave on June 1st for a 5 week trip to Alaska on the BMW. A few years ago I broke my ankle and was laid up for 6 weeks. During that time I discovered Long Way Down and Long Way Round, the two programs that Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman made about their journeys from the top of Scotland to the southern tip of Africa, and from London across Europe and Asia to Alaska and on to New York. Those two programs inspired me to buy the BMW R1150GS. This summer I plan to do a trip across Canada to Alaska, then down to Washington, Oregon, to Colorado and Pikes Peak, and then home. Over 10,000 miles. Sounds like fun.