The shovel has left the building. G.O.N.E.
A bloke i work with saw a photo and was keenish, i rode it to work a few days later and he was really keen, i gave a ball park of $ if / when the time came to off load her. He was cool with all that and asked to have first option if / when the time came. I didn't really get to excited about selling her in any great hurry. Anyway, walked into a stealers a couple of days later, several thousand dollars of a shiny new black xr1200. Well, long story short, after much thought it made a lot of sense. i ended up with a new bike (Warranty, reliability, peace of mind etc) and enough change to cover full exhaust system, filter, ecu tweak or whatever the hell they do, fender eliminator, tinted lenses etc. and then some.
Why?
I lost the faith, sick to fucking death of thinking will it start? Wil it make it home? What will i have to fix when i get home etc. I like riding to work but starting at 3am and riding some of the journey without mobile phone coverage wasn't a good idea on something I'd lost confidence in.
I could have done some practical improvements to make it more user friendly (Big boofy seat, raise the front gaurd, less offensive exhaust, big ugly, disproportionate chain gaurd etc etc) but it wouldn't have been MY shovel anymore. The $$$ were right and i knew it was only going to end up with stone chips, dull alloy and oil leaks the longer i kept it. It was always in the back of my mind that the day may come, hence the lairy flamed paint job, polished doo dads etc that people tend to lap up.
Time, Shovels can be a bloody great thing but IMHO require constant upkeep. Time in the shed (admittedly, some cosmetic stuff) versus time on the road wasn't great. I generally work about 60 - 70 hrs a week, have a young bloke that acts like he's been into the Lou Reed, with another on the way and an eighty year old house I'm trying to restore / keep liveable. It doesn't leave a lot of free time. Don't get me wrong I'm not bitching about my life, I'm fucking loving it. But if i get a couple of hours free i want to be making miles, not rooting around in the shed. This morning was a good example, time I'd normally tinker with the shovel, instead i jumped on the new one to go and grab a caffine fix, ended up in Varra glen then Healsville.
Why a skirtster? Why the hell not. $ were a big factor, keeping debts at a minimum with another mouth and one less wage about nine weeks away. The xr1200 isn't everyones cup of tea and i like that. I've never really been into the bling thing and with HDs realatively aggresive advertising campaign of the 883 iron, blacked out and flat black bikes will end up like new BMX's on boxing day,ie; one on every street corner. It's nice to take the road less travelled some times. I miss corners, not grinding foot pegs hear and there but balls out, bike tipped right over corners. It goes great too, i was happily surprised. I gave a certain red xl1200c a run a couple of nights ago and on the 2 - 3 gear change it got damn light in the front, with upside down forks and twin four spot nissen calipers it goes, stops and handles really well. And just about no chrome and no polised alloy to clean, polish, wax whatever.
So a big thank you to everyone for all of the friendship, advise, parts etc. If it wasn't for the shovelhead brotherhood thing it would have been gone long before now. Thanks. I will change my username in the near future so as not to appear disrespectfull to the shovel guys out there.
Doug.
I have to come clean as well, i took an xr1200x out for a test ride a few weeks ago and i loved it, handled great and looked the bollocks, but if i bought it the shovel would have to go, so i walked away. If i were to change bikes i would go back and get it, look up the Storz xr1200 flat tracker real nice! As for selling your shovel hope you got a good price.
hi , good onya, nothing like a new bike to ride , they should be very reliable as the old sporty motor been around a long time , but please don't call her a skirtster its no baby girls bike its a 1200 cc muscle bike in its own right , very good luck with your new bike you won't know your self with the extra time on your hands not have to work on the old girl , a good model bike
Doug, I had the Iron on order for six months at a time when no one in Oz knew about them and love it, but now they are being advertised the knockers are coming out in force. All I can say is it's a very very sweet ride with great sound and didn't cost a bomb. Zero chance that I'll be changing because a few dopes don't like it. Good to see the class acts on this forum backing you up on the new ride.
Guys, thanks for your support.
KiwiDave, I'll always be happy to ride with a slow old fuck like yourself! You're right as usual, i don't have to, and usually don't explain myself to anyone, however i enjoy the advise, respect and support of my peers in the circles we move in and felt that off loading a 1971 "Willie G wet dream" matching numbers superglide to buy a plastic clad sportster deserved some explanation.
Houli, thanks for the confesion, they are a shit load of fun to ride, in fact a little worried about my license. Don't know how it'll go but am looking to line up a 96ci big twin at a set of lights.
Walker, I'm having shitloads of fun already, now about this NOS thing, we'll need to chat at some stage.
Cris, you are a legend, what else can i say? nailed it again. Thanks.
Weasil, Leafbuster was steering the xl1200c i ran the otherday. Camping gear, nah i like to take things of the bike rather than add shit.
Daddyracer, no offence meant about the skirtster thing, having a jab at myself not anyone else, however i do see how someone could become offended. To me any bike (including my own) with mirrors, an electric start and hand clutch will always be a er um probably shouldn't say poofsbike or girlsbike, how about, a sissys bike?
Kymbo, Yeah i will keep the name. Honda Valkyrie, jesus h christ, that'll take the heat off of me. Seriously though congrats and enjoy. Stay safe.
To everyone else thanks for your support and feedback.
