[052]

John,



Nice story! You have touched on the reason that I ride bikes: for the fun of it and memories. My log book is filled with great times and rides over the years.



I kind of feel sorry for the guy that thinks the world revolves around lap times, the new "'02 makes one HP more than a '01," etc. I could give a crap about how many .001's of a second faster each bike can go down a drag strip.



Taking a month long camping motorcycle vacation with a loved one or best friends is cherished. May be an all day ride through the mountains with the same group will generate memories that will last longer than any motorcycle.



I'd keep "Senor X" for the long haul.



Later,



ZR-7

 

[obiwanrazzy]

MO, you just earned yer $12.



I've always relied on the quick reference aspect of this site, but this is the kind of depth and wellroundedness that makes it an actual online "magazine". You've arrived.

 

[obiwanrazzy]

By the way... fix the link from the article to the "reader feedback". I guess there's always room for improvement, eh?

 

[dickdastardly]

Hah! I read the articles back in the eighties

(and still have them in the garage attic, probably). Now I want a damn steet single!

Maybe I'll convert my xr600....

Anyway, I've been wondering what MO was missing, and I just realized that a good editorial once in a while was just the thing.

Great to have you, keep up the good work.



PS, anyone have a cheap ascot 500 or srx for sale in NJ?

 

[Viffer-dude]

John, beautiful story. I'm attached to an '87 VFR in much the same way - the rides it's collected over the years make the machine much more than just a bike. Part of the family, really.



I'm glad I kept reading towards the end. You can wax on philosophical any time. I wondered what all the banter was about when you came on board, but I must say after having read your first two articles that I'm damn glad I'm a subscriber. Keep it up!

 

[DucButt]

Right on, Burnsie. Great reading! minime: are you paying him enough? Give my 12 bucks to him, will ya. Take off one of those "Air Exxon Valdez" shoes you wear and pass it around - it's bound to hold quite a few Susan B Anthonys. You do remember those, right? I think Burns bought his first bike with a box full of them. In fact, I bet he still has a box full of them under his bed. By the way Burnsie, if you ever wad up Senor X, you can resurrect the thumper to power your boat - for when you really need to get away. Cheers.

 

[aloha-terry]

Okay Burnsie... I now have my $11.94's worth of good... no great writing. I see what you were talking about with being limited in your back page article's. It's true at times you need more than 900 words to develop an idea and expand on it just a little.

I remember one of Egan's articles when he talked about all of us being " caretakers of machinery ". We are, and by having this contact with the machines we leave a little of our life force with them and they leave a little of the theirs with us.

You have captured the essense of this part of life, and how machines become part of our own lives.

I look forward to more.

Aloha...

 

[Patrick-of-the-Hills]

Saw an SRX-6 for the first time about, oh, two years ago, and tried to buy it out from under the rider. Perfect little machine, total shame it's so rare.



Finished "Jupiter's Travels" today, paged through a bit of "The Motorcycle Diaries," then got to this; is it that motorcycles themselves aid in the creation of such ideas and feelings, or is it that the sport attracts people who have that kind of soul to start with, and focuses it? Makes me feel lucky to know about this, and more committed to it.



Oh, and sorry to hear about the home life; hope it gets better soon.

 

[cdhjmatt]

1986 old??! Pish tush, young man. Why I was bolting up a 36mm Mikuni, Tommaselli clip-ons, quarter-turn throttle, an alloy swing-arm, rear-sets, S&W shocks, and a loud pipe on the SRX's forbear--the SR 500--way back in '78. It didn't stop there: binned the boat-anchor cast wheels, laced up alloy hubs and rims, spooned on some sticky rubber and...my, oh my, that bike was a hoot.



At least I think it was...(if only I could remember)

 

[32732]

JB, all I can say is...







...ramble on my friend.



Pat.

 

[navion_pa2]

Good Story,



I used to think the active motorcyclsist was one of the best internet sites, and this story

gives a good introduction.

 

[Mutoid]

Wonderful story John. I'm not kidding, to me this is a gold medal, blue ribbon, A Number 1 piece of writing that had me feeling (at least I think perhaps) the same feelings you had while writing it.

I feel like by writing that, you have invited the readership here into friendship, and I'm gall durn proud to be a member and a part of MO.

Thanks tons.

 

[ujm4ever]

John,

Long time fan. Great article. Thanks for the laughs. Motorcycles and the real world, moto journalism doesn't get any better than this. BTW, I feel your pain on the domestic front. Feel free to write if you need to chat, we're in the same "boat".



MO,

Double my subscription rate and send half of it to JB's Swiss bank account. (You do have one don't you John?)



ujm

 

[34427]

Nice work. Not really like Pirsig with his Platonic musings, but HEY JOHN, thats some nice work!



It reminds me that somehow rubber and metal and petro can manifest some sort of mysterious mojo that makes them more a part of our lives than any inanimate object ever should be. They pull memories out like a cheap dentist going at a wisdom tooth without the 'caine... you know you need it, and you know you are gonna feel something. (well... the 'caine is a good thing too)



Thanks for going digital. I hope your exodus shows the freedom, quality and inspiration produced when a good writer doesn't have to worry about NO Stinkin' word limit.



One question for all the rich playboys working ("working"?) there at MO: If you have this mysterious multi-billionaire pouring cash into MO, what good is my paltry 11.94 really going to do? Shouldn't we all be dipping at that billionaire's generosity? Heck, he could finance all of it, give us all refunds and call it a "tax write off." Creative accounting is really en vogue right now.



Welcome you 2 wheel warrior. Write on!

 

[luvmyvfr]

John - A great piece, it is a gift to be able to express ones feelings about a machine so well. I'm glad you can capture what I've felt about machines I've owned, and other things I've loved too, and forgot about, until I dug them out of a box or bin and tried them out again, realizing I was still in love with them.

MO - This type of writing is why I love reading about motorcycling and motorcyclists. It's even better than arguing the finer points of riding styles and aging in the feedbacks...

Keep it up guys, you're worth every penney.

luvmyvfr

 

[einarsen]

I own a street (stock) SRX and I can attest that the bike is one of my all-time favourites. It's pure "motorcycle" ... very primal.

Anyway, for those interested in thumpers check out the mailing list at:

http://www.dorje.com/mailing-lists/

and the Thumper page at:

http://www.perardua.net/thumper/thumper.html

--Brad

 

[rcgolly]

Yes! need more of this type of writing, can't get enough of it. Those articles are the first thing I read when I get a bike mag, after a quick scan of new bikes ... Keep it up and welcome aboard!

 

[32456]

Welcome Smartass!

Well, I got about half way through that Senor X article, then had to leave because I was not in the mood for that rambling right now--I'll check it out later. But I did want to welcome Burnsie to MO. In his Motorcyclist column a couple of months ago he basically said he would have to tone it down. Now hopefully, he will not. I just hope he does not decide to return and leave the old rag again and again like TC seemed to do. Hopefully we'll see lots more of JB now and that his considerable talents and unrelenting propensity to be a smartass will once again make MO a daily read.

 

[odtaa50]

Welcome aboard, JB. You are the reason I finally broke down and subscribed. Looking forward to more from you, and possibly other underappreciated touchy-feelies. I'm a 46 year old Road King owner. I put major miles on my bike throughout the Southwest. If I'm scraping footpegs with the engine at redline, something's probably gone horribly wrong. Your well-written pieces are just what I'm looking for. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Elseanno]

Right on! I remember when those bikes came out.....This crazy old french hairdresser that lived nextdoor to me bought one. I thought it was the coolest. This article is giving me a boner to rebuild my poor old SR 500........I have an aquaintance with an SR pumping 70 hp and eating monsters, R6's and anybody that isn't club racer or better........This guy is 65 and his bike sounds like a motorcycle. I wonder if he'd help me build it......