08-28-2023, 12:59 AM
Sweet! Way back in the day, when I decided to get back into riding after the kids had grown up, I looked around for a Triumph Bonny, but couldn't find one, which is odd, living in SoCal, but I came across a black 883 Sportster. It was bone stock, checked off most of the boxes, and it was cheap. I bought it and rode it enough to get my endorsement again, but it was under powered, and friends kept calling it "a chick bike." Then I came across a blue 1200 Roadster. Not stock, it had a pipe I didn't like, and it seemed to have a problem in the lower revs, but it was cheap and gorgeous. Bought it. It had a stiff clutch, and the suspension was harsh, the SoCal frwys made it shake and rattle. A bud of mine, an ace mechanic, rode it, and said, "Someone has futzed with the jets." We (actually he) re-jetted it and put a clutch-assist in it, and bingo! Smooth, powerful, with an easy clutch! Rode it for about a year, but the suspension still rattled my teeth and Mrs. Bravo was making noises about wanted to ride with me, so traded it on the Kawi. That's another story.