Right on the cusp of making the decision to sell my '04 R1100S and retire from riding.
Not an easy decision, to say the least. Started riding in 1963 in the desert country of NW Nevada on a Honda 250 Scrambler. Since then have owned a variety of bikes, Honda, Hodaka, Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati, and a couple of Beemers. My S is the top of the heap, very comfy with the addition of a Rick Mayer custom-fit seat, Rapid Dog barbacks. Has all the performance needed for a street bike, and though it's not a Duc, it handles really well. Frankly hits all the sweet spots for me. And, it's gorgeous, even if it's not Pathetic Blue (you know who you are...lol).
Last couple of years it's spent a lot of time sitting just gathering dust, while my street skills get more and more rust. I still enjoy riding it a few miles now and then, but I'm getting so rusty that it takes awhile to get truly relaxed, smooth and into the ride. Have a health issue or two, but nothing that truly precludes riding. Just don't seem to "find the time" (or energy) to ride nearly as much as I once did.
Sigh....tough decision. Perhaps especially after having a complete 24K service job (bike only has 20.5K on it), upgrading to Speigler brake lines with an ABS flush, new tires, and new Oddysey battery with in the last few months.
Man oh man...!
Plus! I won't be able to hassle those pesky RS guys any more!
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Bill,
Back to your OP, I just spent a busy (ok, not busy exactly, but at least thoughtful) afternoon rearranging my garage and taking care of a few little things I'd been putting off for a while. Conditions were perfect for the project: a cool and breezy 97f (breezy thanks to my four fans; no thanks to the Gulf of Mexico for failing yet again to provide adequate ventilation to the neighborhood) and I must say I was totally successful, thanks mostly to my limited expectations for the project. Like you, I'm an old guy and I know how to pace myself. So yeah.
But I don't think I would have been able to complete all that difficult work if I hadn't been able to lean back against the beer refrigerator from time to time and gaze at my lovely S while I surveyed the project and considered my next move. While it is true that I don't ride the S very often, choosing instead one of the unnamed Pacific Rim scooters over in the corner for my lunch and grocery store runs, I really don't know how I would get by without the S parked right there whenever I "work" in the garage.
My eventual plan, to the extent that I have such a thing, is to one day deliver the S to my little boy Johnny Jr., who loves the bike and would take care of it just like I do, even though it would have to share a space with his collection of Harley-Davidsons and John Deeres. I haven't spoken to him about it yet, since his Mom has advised me not to hand it over to him since he's just a kid (ok, he's 52, but who's counting) and he might fall of of it and skin his elbow.
Fair enough and right as usual; so I guess I'll just keep the S right where it is for the time being.
Still not for sale though.
Johnny
