As with all good things, it comes with bad as the side dish. In my case, the bad is parking. You see, I'm in downtown, so parking is scarce and expensive. Even with early bird special rates, I'll spend over $1,000 per year on parking. As a cheapskate, that makes my skin crawl. Now it's time to find some way to ease my parking expense.
I could ride a bicycle. Bikes park for free on the sidewalk and I'd get the side benefit of exercise. Of course, that also means I'd have to dodge the traffic that sees a bicycle as a nuisance and it would make my short commute longer. During the summer, I'd also sweat my ass off and I don't want to stink for the rest of the day. Let's not mention the many, many times I've crashed my bicycle as a kid. I think I spent more time wreathing on the ground in pain after a crash than actually riding the bike. So a bike is out.
The next option is public transport, which means a bus in my case. The Denver Light Rail is so far away it's not even an option. My company offers free passes for the RTD buses. For me, that means driving across town, parking my car, and then riding the RTD in to work. In that same amount of time, I could just walk to work. I could ride the regular bus, which means a longer commute and the chance to sit next to someone who smells like pee. So the bus is out.
It's gets a little better because scooters under 50cc get to park on the sidewalk for free. For free, you say? Hmm, my inner cheapskate likes that. While a scooter isn't a motorcycle, it does have an engine and two wheels. They're also cheap to buy and run and are fairly simple. Yes, I think a scooter could be the answer to my problems.
With a scooter in mind, I went off to the dealers to look at a few. The Chinese junk were out immediately. Vespas were out, too, because they're too expensive. Even used Vespas are too much. Genuine Scooter Stellas are nice but are, again, more than I wanted to spend.
That left me with two choices: the Honda Metropolitan or the Piaggio Fly 50. Both are new for 2013. The Honda has been restyled and looks even more like a Vespa than an actual Vespa. It has lots of storage and is really quite good looking. I liked it in pearl white with the brown seat. It's also fuel injected, which is nice.
The Fly 50 is much more modern looking with its styling. It also boasts bigger wheels than the Honda and has a front disc where the Honda has a drum. The Piaggio is slightly more expensive and gets slightly less MPG. The Fly offers similar amount of storage, though, and goes about as quickly as the Honda.
Both are surprisingly quick on the road and are as nimble as a gazelle. Steering is fast on the Honda due to its 10-inch wheels; the Piaggio felt much more stable. Both would be perfect for riding around town and commuting. So it seems my parking dilemma has been solved with a scooter.
Well, not so fast.
As I was riding around on the Honda, I caught a glimpse of myself in a store window. It was not good. I'm used to looking like a complete nerd but this was too much even for me. I went back with that image gnawing at my mind. I chalked it up to a momentary bought of self-consciousness. It would pass, I thought. Later on in the week, I went to look at a used Malaguti Yesterday 50, which had the distinction of being hideously ugly. That was out.
However, something happen while I was sitting on the Malaguti. I had an epiphany.
The place that had the Malaguti also sells Royal Enfields. As I was sitting on this ugly scooter, I was staring at the chrome and the big engine of the Enfield and I realized I couldn't ride a scooter. I just couldn't do it. Nothing personal is directed toward scooter riders, but it's just not me. I decided on a cheap motorcycle.
In my search for parking solutions, I found a nearby garage that charges half price for motorcycles. That would put me well under $1,000 per year in parking. While still more expensive than free, I wouldn't be on a scooter. So the search for a cheap motorcycle ensued. After a few false starts, a few dreamers and a few potential candidates, I came across a little Honda that fit the bill.
It was a 1981 Honda CM400T, a pseudo-cruiser from Japan's Great Cruiserfication period. At least it has a round headlamp. It was $800, ran and had new tires. It has issues, like a tach that doesn't work, faded paint and a busted headlamp shell, but I wasn't expecting perfection for under a grand. The contacts on the starter switch could use some cleaning, as well. It also came with a giant sissy bar/luggage rack that was so 70s and was ditched on the quick-fast. I picked it up yesterday and spent most of the day riding around without a license plate. Don't tell Johnny Law...
The first thing that sticks out is how light the Honda is. Fueled and ready to go, it tips the scales at just over 400 lbs. That's significantly lighter than my Triumph and my Guzzi. It felt so playful and easy to throw around. There's not much in the way of torque from the little twin, but that's to be expected. The brakes are terrible, which I chalk up to me being spoiled by modern brakes. In all, though, it feels pretty solid.
There it is: my parking problem has been solved. I feel much more comfortable on a motorcycle than on a bicycle or a scooter. I also don't have to sit next to a vagrant on public transport and I don't have to walk to work. Things are looking up for me, all thanks to Soichiro Honda and the power of dreams.
Here it is. It's not a big motorcycle just a groovy little motorbike.
