My new "motorcycle"

[VLJ_imp]

Nice car VLJ. Really pretty color. Bet it's a chick magnet.

My brother has a 2012 Miata, hardtop convertible. Push a button and the hard top disappears in the trunk in seconds. Pretty amazing set up really. he loves his, I'm sure you are going to love yours.

Wish you were still able to ride, but I guess this is the next best thing.

More like an idiot magnet, so far. Remember when that guy at work thought my CB1100 was a 250? Well, so far I've had three comments/responses to this new car....

First guy, in a Safeway parking lot. Simple head nod and thumbs up, after gesturing to the car. No problem there.

Second guy, in the ghetto section of Antioch last night, also in a parking lot. He gets out of his beater Impala, stops, does a classic double take after seeing the car, then he waits for me to get out. Grinning, he asks, "Is that the new Maserati?"

Third guy, at the dealership today. Man and his wife halt their conversation as I roll up. When I climb out, he ambles on up to me. Arms folded, he nods toward my car and asks, "Whatcha think of your new Supra?"

So, two out of three so far, total nimrods.

Okay, there was a fourth reaction, and it was exactly the one you mentioned, the one anyone would want. I'm at a red light, and a red Jetta crosses in front me. When the car was midway through the intersection, a teenage blonde girl poked her head out of the passenger-side window and waved her pinky at me, or the car, I'm not sure which.

Quickly waving your pinky is now a thing?

Hmmm. I must have missed the memo on that one.

Oh, and my 2011 MX-5 had the same retractable hardtop as your brother's 2012 model. Yep, that thing is just ideal. Wish they still did it that way, rather than the stupid retractable targa top they do now. Just like with our bike discussions regarding windshields, all the talk of the RF model's flying buttress piece behind the seats has to do with the obnoxious extra noise directly around your head that that big, blindspot-creating hunk of plastic creates.

That's why I went with the soft top. You know how I am about windflow and buffeting.

pdedse, my left foot is undamaged, so the clutch thing is a nonissue. My right foot? Still a balloon, so I still wear a slipper-style sandal. Can't angle my ankle enough to heel-toe shift yet, and the swelling of the foot and ankle combined with the cumbersome sandal prevents such shenanigans anyway. So, instead, I just shift normally. Not exactly shooting for a race pace here at the moment, ya' know?

Oh, and yes, that Soul Red Crystal Metallic is absurdly gorgeous. It can be just about any amazing red you like, depending on the lighting, especially when shadows play upon the car's contours. Richest red I've ever seen, bar none.

Two things surprise me and crack me up about this car, especially seeing as how I bought it to replace a motorcycle. First, the rearview mirrow is as buzzy and worthless as that of any motorcycle's mirrors I've ever used. I'd say it's actually worse. Even below 60 mph it shakes and vibrates like an epileptic hummingbird. The side mirrors are fine. It's just the center mirror that spazzes out. Also, this thing's ride is former than my XSR or Z900. Don't even begin to compare it to the plushness of the CB1100. You feel every last pebble in the road with this thing. Tar strips, expansion seams, drainage striations, you name it, they're all transmitted straight into the seat, as well as through the steering wheel and your feet. You feel everything.

Yep, as it turns out, this thing is a serious, no foolin' around, proper sports car.