Getting a Bike Part One: The Decision

A story by Gail.

I always thought I didn't like sport bikes. After all, I come from a family that has two Harleys, and my dad has had nothing else for as long as modern sport bikes really even existed. Naturally enough I focused on the negatives, like how uncomfortable and dangerous they were supposed to be for newbies.

But when I finally got to try out sport bikes for myself, I realized how wrong I had been to ignore this exciting category of motorcycles. First my friend at work offered a ride on his Yamaha 600R. Would you believe that the seat felt more comfortable on that bike than on my dad's FXDXT? (To be fair, his seat is aftermarket, and superb for the rider.) Then the Buell demo day gave me an opportunity to test the Lightning as a passenger, another thrilling ride. Gee, I thought, maybe my boyfriend Andrew's favorite motorcycles weren't so bad after all, as he'd been trying so hard to convince me.

The discovery of sport bikes and how fun they were brought me to a new level of excitement for getting a bike of my own. But despite the sport bike appeal, I knew I wouldn't run out and buy some race replica crotch rocket as my first bike, or maybe even ever. No, I'd have to find a good beginner bike to learn on; a safe bike, but one that wouldn't lose my interest too quickly. But if you read my story HOG's Angels, you probably know that I already had a good idea of what to get. Yup, the Buell Blast dream had returned, this time with a vengeance.

You know, being a university student is expensive, even with scholarships. That's why I never thought I could get a bike before I graduated. So when one day I sighed and explained my feelings of woe to my dad, I was surprised to hear him say, "Well, why couldn't you get one?"

Hmm . maybe he's right! With co-op until December and only one semester of school until I worked again, maybe it was possible. I practically ran upstairs to draw up a quick budget, and found that it was. That was the moment of decision.

I toyed with the idea of a used Blast, but there weren't any for sale in Ottawa and very few in the rest of Ontario . Buells in general just aren't too popular here in the nation's capital (attested by the fact that Ottawa Harley Davidson has only two for sale, and one is from 2003), the Blast the least of all. By buying a Buell, you really are becoming different in every sense.

I considered the fact that a new Blast would only be a couple of thousand dollars more, and that the new bikes came with a two-year warranty. I rechecked my budget, considering buying new. Dad and I figured that we might be able to get a good deal, being such good customers at the shop. With this in mind, I moved my concentration to obtaining a motorcycle license.