peterbaron, I can walk without assistance now, but it's not exactly the smoothest pimp strut you'll ever see. There is a decided hitch in my giddy-up. I can fit my stupid foot in some shoes, but not others, and the issue then is whether the back of the shoe rubs the jacked-up, thin skin right through. When I drive, I often have to remove my shoe so that very thing doesn't happen. The skin on the back of the heel is quite angry, and seemingly wafer thin.
Not much leg strength, either, and my lower-body stability is shaky. I manage...carefully. I'm not too particularly bendy now, in any direction. I won't be dunking a basketball or setting a great time in the forty any time soon.
I did go and visit a couple of local bike stores last week. Tried my hand at sitting on a few BMWs, Triumphs, Yamahas, and Kawis. I learned that I couldn't do my Kawi Z900 again, not now, anyway. That raised tail section means I can't get my leg over. Instead, I have to stand on the left peg first, get everything elevated, and finish it that way.
Crazy, how huge some bikes seem to me now. The R1250RS (the sport-touring model, not the big tourer) seems as big as a Goldwing to me.
I came away from that day thinking I'd probably need something small like the new Triumph Trident, an MT-07, or an SV650. Oh, and the Bonneville T120 fits perfectly. That's probably the best fit of all, of everything I tried. The Speed Twin wasn't bad either, but the T120 was easier, and more comfortable overall.
Been talking to mickey here and there about all this. As I told him, I intentionally ditched all my gear when I sold the CB, so that I wouldn't be tempted to ride again. Knowing I'd have to replace all that crap, to the tune of thousands of dollars, would keep me from pulling the trigger.
It's difficult, though. I love bikes. I just do. It's a tough habit to kick.
