Joined
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1 Posts
Hi folks,
It has been a long time since I was on a motorcycle. My first love was a XJ 550 Seca. I had that thing for so long. Rode every where, mostly in the NYC area. Only thing that kept me off the road was snow or ice. About a day or two at most. What helped that situation was mass transit. Later I picked up a XJ 650 Turbo which was a sweet ride for many reasons. Main reason I got it was the bodywork. Helped with the colder times I rode. The added weight of the body work sorta absorbed the extra 100cc on the engine so it rode and moved about the same as my 550. When I needed and extra boost the turbo was just a down shift away but really I hardly ever used it. Those two bikes got me around in the NYC area for what seemed forever. Anyway I love the freedom an sensations you get on a bike.
Now I find that I'm very much tempted to trade in my '02 Jeep Wrangler Sport for an FZ-07. I had happened to stop in the local dealer to get motorcycle buzz. Didn't think they would take a car in trade. But they said they would. At the moment I'm deciding if I should get rid of my four wheels in favor of two. A few things are making me think its a good idea. The weather is just about perfect for a bike, even when it does rain. Rain has never been an issue for riding. Since there is no snow or ice ever I can't see any day that tailor made for a motorcycle.
The wrangler is in sore need of TLC. Her appearance has taken a beating under this Florida sun. Clear coat peeling off, color fading as a result. Fender flares are never going to be black no matter what I put on them. I had to take off the original top and put on a bikini top with a wraparound wind jammer to close off the cabin for rain and cold. Her throttle position sensor has to be replaced but since the screws holding it in are seized they won't back out. Trying according to the dealer may damage the throttle body. Then that would have to be changed as well. Then there is the labor. And the last thorn is she needs tires bad! A set of 5 would be around $800!
Another enticement is we will never ever see gas at a dollar a gallon. Hell maybe below $3.00 seems like a fantasy. The FZ-07 gets close to 58 mpg. A very sexy number. That is over three times what I get with the Wrangler.
What would be a bit of an issue with not having a car would be that once in a while need to transport something a bit big. That one has me hesitating. That trip to the hardware store, etc. I don't count carrying people around. 99% of the time I've been the only occupant. In all the years I've had her the back seat has only been used once or twice. That back seat has been stored in the garage for 5 years now.
With both of my jobs being big corporations and the one that is full time now deciding that they need to cut hours. There is less and less cash in the bank for things like car maintenance. Seems the Wrangler will continue to deteriorate further.
Anyway I joined this site to listen to the joys and issue related to owning a FZ-07. Don't know how many of you here are in Florida or some other warm weather area. If your FZ is your only mode of transportation or not. But I would love to hear from members on the subject.
My last thoughts on the subject are that I remember how having a bike in NYC was never an issue. But upon getting a car I joined a different mindset. Now I'm a bit stuck on the whole 'having a car' thing.
It has been a long time since I was on a motorcycle. My first love was a XJ 550 Seca. I had that thing for so long. Rode every where, mostly in the NYC area. Only thing that kept me off the road was snow or ice. About a day or two at most. What helped that situation was mass transit. Later I picked up a XJ 650 Turbo which was a sweet ride for many reasons. Main reason I got it was the bodywork. Helped with the colder times I rode. The added weight of the body work sorta absorbed the extra 100cc on the engine so it rode and moved about the same as my 550. When I needed and extra boost the turbo was just a down shift away but really I hardly ever used it. Those two bikes got me around in the NYC area for what seemed forever. Anyway I love the freedom an sensations you get on a bike.
Now I find that I'm very much tempted to trade in my '02 Jeep Wrangler Sport for an FZ-07. I had happened to stop in the local dealer to get motorcycle buzz. Didn't think they would take a car in trade. But they said they would. At the moment I'm deciding if I should get rid of my four wheels in favor of two. A few things are making me think its a good idea. The weather is just about perfect for a bike, even when it does rain. Rain has never been an issue for riding. Since there is no snow or ice ever I can't see any day that tailor made for a motorcycle.
The wrangler is in sore need of TLC. Her appearance has taken a beating under this Florida sun. Clear coat peeling off, color fading as a result. Fender flares are never going to be black no matter what I put on them. I had to take off the original top and put on a bikini top with a wraparound wind jammer to close off the cabin for rain and cold. Her throttle position sensor has to be replaced but since the screws holding it in are seized they won't back out. Trying according to the dealer may damage the throttle body. Then that would have to be changed as well. Then there is the labor. And the last thorn is she needs tires bad! A set of 5 would be around $800!
Another enticement is we will never ever see gas at a dollar a gallon. Hell maybe below $3.00 seems like a fantasy. The FZ-07 gets close to 58 mpg. A very sexy number. That is over three times what I get with the Wrangler.
What would be a bit of an issue with not having a car would be that once in a while need to transport something a bit big. That one has me hesitating. That trip to the hardware store, etc. I don't count carrying people around. 99% of the time I've been the only occupant. In all the years I've had her the back seat has only been used once or twice. That back seat has been stored in the garage for 5 years now.
With both of my jobs being big corporations and the one that is full time now deciding that they need to cut hours. There is less and less cash in the bank for things like car maintenance. Seems the Wrangler will continue to deteriorate further.
Anyway I joined this site to listen to the joys and issue related to owning a FZ-07. Don't know how many of you here are in Florida or some other warm weather area. If your FZ is your only mode of transportation or not. But I would love to hear from members on the subject.
My last thoughts on the subject are that I remember how having a bike in NYC was never an issue. But upon getting a car I joined a different mindset. Now I'm a bit stuck on the whole 'having a car' thing.
