I am doing something I never thought that I would do - I am buying a motorcycle. "What!?" you may be asking...yup, I said it, I'm buying a bike and there's nothing you can do to stop me.
I've been shopping around for about a month now and have finally decided that I'm going to do it - I'm going to get a Kawasaki Ninja 250R from Golden Gate Motorcycles. A lot of people have said, "that's a girl's bike!" While I will concede that a full 1/3 of 250R purchasers are women, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is a bad bike. Hell, I've never ridden anything more than a bicycle, so why would I want to buy a 1000cc bike right out of the gate? I need something that I can get comfortable on and learn how to ride safely, plus it's only $3,499 new.
I've signed up for motorcycle safety classes with the Bay Area Motorcycle Training School which will take place at the end of May and I'm getting really excited. The school puts you on small bikes like the Ninja and teaches you how to ride properly and safely. You get classroom experience and two days of "range" time - though my classes start at 6:45 AM, ugh.
At this point, I've thought about it all and have planned it pretty precisely. The goal is to sell the car within the next two months (not necessary) so I don't have to renew the insurance. The Kawasaki Go Green Sales Event ends at the end of June so I'll still be able to take advantage of the financing deals they are running - the timing couldn't be better. Once the car is gone, I'll probably also sign up for ZipCar for those times when I need more than two seats.
If you know anyone that wants a great car for a biodiesel project or SVO conversion, I have a 1979 Mercedes 300D. It's an awesome car...but you don't take my word for it, come drive it!
The bike will mainly be for commuting to and from work which is nice because I won't have to rely on transit anymore, though I won't be able to listen to my morning radio show or drink my coffee on the way to work anymore. I have free parking available to me, the bike gets excellent gas mileage, and the insurance is ultimately cheaper, so I'll actually be saving money and can finally start putting a dent in paying off my student loans - yay!
So here is what it looks like (right color too).
I know a lot of you may be thinking that this looks a lot like a "crotch-rocket" and that I'll look completely ridiculous on it, but it really isn't, and I won't. ...ok well it does look a little ricey, but the seating position is very upright and the bike's low height allows me to put my feet firmly on the ground when at a stop.If you think this is all silly, then put it in context of me wanting to help the environment. I am reducing congestion, purchasing a vehicle that gets great gas mileage, and has reduced emissions. I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing this for the trees!
-tree hugging, biker jonathon
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