Two Wheel Joy

I do miss motorcycle riding. My old KZ 900 sits abandoned in a shed, in need of a wiring harness. The bike dates back to 1974 and the wiring insulation and switches are falling apart. I had loads of fun with that old bike and it would be possible to get it back on the road. Whole new wiring harness can be had for reasonable money.

I've friends who ride bikes to same money on gas. That wouldn't make a lot of sense for me. Strangely enough it's cheaper for me to run my one ton ES 350 ambulance converted to motor home as a daily driver. Being able to run on free waste veggie oil changes the numbers. I figured that I'd need a vehicle that got over 150 mpg to make it worth burning gas. Do even mopeds get that kind of mileage?

My old bike only got 38 – 40 miles to the gallon. My wife's 4 cylinder economy car gets 33. Not really worth the price of repair, registration and insurance.

Of course, life is more than numbers. Sometimes it's about fun. Riding on two wheels, leaning into corners, heading down narrow lanes, it's a blast. Last year I recaptured some of that fun by buying a decent pedal bike. While not quite the rush of a fast motorcycle, it's still a lot of fun. I don't have to burn gas, or pay for registration and insurance. Simplicity adds to the fun. Lord knows I need the exercise, and that's a good feeling too.

There's a lot of really scenic bike trails I'm looking forward to riding this summer. That should slake my thirst for some two wheeled joy.

-Sixbears