A little rest stop to eat my Jenny Craig "Anytime Bar" so I wouldn't stop and gobble a Big Mac. It worked, I didn't.

It’s a lovely sunny day here in the Seattle area. I knew that I was going to hop on the viffer and go for a little ride. I decided upon a somewhat familiar little jaunt, up highway 522.

North Seattle to Monroe with a side mission to Canyon Park

Originally I planned to maybe get to Snohomish but I liked the vibe of 522 so I just continued on to Monroe.

I stopped at the quaint Country Village in Bothell. This is where I saw the biggest cock I’ve seen in a long time.

That's a big one.

Quaint, foofy stores await your money at Country Village in Bothell.

The ride up 522 was nice. This is my first time being in the saddle at speeds over 45 miles an hour for more than 5 minutes at one whack in about 3 years. The Interceptor was truly a terrific travel provider, but my arms/hands/back aren’t conditioned to it yet, so I kept my range close to home.

The lovely Monroe Correctional Facility is a large tenant in the town of Monroe, Washington. I checked in its online archives and found this interesting picture of an inmate. Okay, if you saw a guy dressed like this today, you’d feel compelled to call him “sir.” I stopped at a mega gasoline/convenience store establishment and bought a nice cold bottled water, a Lite Starbucks Frappaccino, and a pack of peanuts. Snacked whilst enjoying the sun at the curb. Then gazed at my red viffer and wondered if I could keep it for the rest of my life. Maybe in 20 years my 2002 VFR will be considered a quaint classic vintage ride.

I'm sorry, sir, but the window of the best prison cell we have for you this evening faces north. Dessert and coffee served at 8. Don't drop your soap.

If you’re riding your cycle about and you wave to a red Interceptor and its rider (which could be me) doesn’t wave back, please don’t take it personally. Must I remove my hand from the handle grips to wave to another cyclist as we pass going different directions? I’d prefer to stay vertical and in the forward-moving direction and keep my hands on my handlebars. Just a crazy safety thing I like to follow. Maybe it’s just me.

Week One: 60 Miles. I know, I suck.

It’s been 7 days since I brought my 2002 VFR home. I’ve added a mere 60 miles to the odometer reading. I know, I’m a lightweight. I have a full time job, give me a break.
I’ve ridden it to work a few times the past week, and I indeed take the long way home. I’ve found the Interceptor to be a very amenable ride; the hydraulic clutch pull is perfect, the brakes are very strong, there’s practically zero vibration for a nice comfortable ride, and the riding position is very good. The engine temperature gets up to and past 200 degrees F, but the fan comes on and it doesn’t rise above 220 that I’ve seen.

I don’t know if I’m a huge fan of the Hot Grips that were added. I am thankful that I don’t plan on riding when it’s below 40 degrees so having heated hand grips isn’t really going to be a necessity. Therefore, I may just remove them and replace them with a regular set of grips.

The reflector that bit a car. First blood. Hopefully LAST.

Oh, and uh… I had a little boo boo in the parking lot on Friday. I don’t want to take up a full parking space in the company car lot, so I wedged my VFR between two parked cars in the corner of the lot. I saw that my back end was kinda blocking the silver Prius’ driver side door, so I backed out to park elsewhere… and didn’t exactly realize how wide my rear end was, what with the hard luggage. I kinda scraped up against the silver Prius’ rear quarter panel.The sharp edge of the reflector on the hard luggage bit into it…and left a mark…

Have I mentioned that one of the company VP’s owns said silver Prius?

So I immediately told her what I did. She seemed not too concerned about it and didn’t even inspect the scrape until after she left Friday evening. As of this very writing I don’t know if she and her husband have decided that the scrape mark will need to be professionally fixed. If so, of course, I’ll pay for it. But this may be the first time a motorcycle damaged a car while its engine wasn’t even on, as I was walking it backwards between two cars.

Next time? I’m taking a fucking whole space. I’m actually listening to AC/DC’s First Blood from Fly On The Wall as I write this.

What’s ironic is just the day before this, I was talking with a colleague and said that motorcycles in Washington state are not required to carry any sort of insurance. I’ve checked into motorcycle insurance and am on the fence about its necessity. If my Interceptor were stolen, I’d want protection, even with a $1,000 deductible. But collision insurance? That tacks on a significant amount of dough to a motorcycle policy. So I’ll think about it.

2002 Yamaha Virago 250 Review

Years Available: 1981-2007

Pros: Great looks and a good kick out of her when above 250cc

Cons: Early models has starter problems. Cornering can be tricky if your taller than average

Note: The writer of this review earned $15, and so can you. Details about writing a review here.

Price Range: $700-$1,500 (Depends on year of bike)

In 1981, the Yamaha Virago was introduced to the world. It graced the headlines of biker magazines and newspapers when journalists grappled to see the first ever V-Twin motorcycle produced by a Japanese company. The bike is a cruiser style motorcycle, which were and still are extremely popular among bikers.

The bike has a slung back design with handlebars right up on the tank and the seat curving downwards right behind that grumbling engine. This gives the rider a laid back look with legs slightly bent, knees up by the gas tank. Viragos come in almost any colour depending on what production year you go for. Popular choices include black, red and turquoise. The Virago is deserving of strong, bold colors that make it stand out from the other cruisers of the era. Chrome only ads to the effect, with many featuring a double-barrel exhaust pipe and a shiny pair of headlights.

The engine too, is also a glistening dream to look at and hear. Initial models were only made with a 750cc engine. However when Harley Davidson pushed for tariffs on any imported bikes over 700cc, Yamaha dropped the engine capacity to 699cc. The fact that the Virago was making Harley-Davidson, the most famous motorcycle producer in the world, worry, is a testament to the Viragos appeal and success throughout the years. Nowadays, viragos can be found in almost any engine size from 125cc right up to 1100cc. However I’d suggest starting off with something on the bigger side of 250cc to really get that grumble from the V-Twin, not to mention the lack of power the 125cc has if your in anyway offensive to a set of weighing scales or in windy conditions.

The riding experience on a Virago is exceptional, especially one from the late 80s early 90s (anything before ’85 and you may have starter problems). It’s comfortable over long journeys especially for a pillion passenger with that great sissy bar to lean back on. Turning is good so long as your under 6’2”. One final thing that I’d like to add about the Virago is that she’s a great workhorse (the word Virago literally means warrior – they got that right!). I’ve put carrier bags loaded with tonnes of stuff and she just gobbled up the road in front like they weren’t even there.

All things considered this is a great bike especially for learners looking to take that first step into motorcycling. Parts are easy to find on the rare occasion anything goes wrong with her. Viragos are also easily customizable with dozens of websites and companies selling aftermarket lights, mirrors, seats and tanks. The final bike to roll of the production line carrying the Virago name was the 250cc 2007 model. However, fear not! The model was simply renamed V-Star for the 2008 onwards production.

The opinions and observations stated  are solely of the writer of this article. Seattle-Motorcycles.com makes no warranty as to its accuracy; if you’re interested in a Yamaha Virago you should do your own research before buying.

Rider Review: 2004 Honda Shadow 600

Pros – Looks great and has good power

Cons – Cornering at high speeds and too big to squeeze in and out of dense traffic

Note: The writer of this review earned $15, and so can you. Details about writing a review here.

The Honda Shadow was first introduced in 1983 and was available across the US and Canada from then on and continues in production today. The bike is a cruiser with a leaning seating position with your feet pushed out towards the front end.

From its entry to the market the signature colors have been black or a candy red with different variants creeping in every once and a while. The speedometer and indicator lights are located on top of the tank which means the rider is exposed to the wind more so than other bikes. However, this is an interesting feature and Honda has made it look good by putting stylish chrome strips under these lights and gauges. One problem with this has been scratching from the keys in the ignition but once you only keep a modest amount of keys on your set you should be okay.

All engines fitted to Shadows are V-Twins with sizes ranging from a lean 125cc up to a grumbling 1100cc. However, all of these engine sizes offer a fair amount of torque on the Shadow and you should have no problem pulling away from a set of lights even on the 125cc version. The engines come fully chromed on some models with a great big exhaust stretching right along the chassis to the back tire in a straight line parallel with the ground.

Riding the shadow is a good experience. Cornering at high speeds takes a bit of getting used to because of the stretched out position but other than that she rides like a dream. The engine gets you where you want to go every time without so much as a flinch and the seat and sissy bar for the passenger are really comfortable.

Overall, the Shadow is a good bike. I wouldn’t recommend it for daily commuting because of its size and indeed the noise over 700cc but as a motorcycle it’s a lot of fun and well worth the buy for weekends and evening cruises around the countryside.

The opinions and observations stated  are solely of the writer of this article. Seattle-Motorcycles.com makes no warranty as to its accuracy; if you’re interested in a Honda Shadow you should do your own research before buying.

Honda Interceptor (VF or VFR models) have a dedicated web community, VFRDiscussion.com. One of the first questions I had about my 2002 (aka “6th Generation VFR”) was regarding its engine temperature. Running at over 200 degrees F threw up a red flag for me. I’ve never ridden a bike that gives a precise digital readout of the engine temperature, and seeing temperatures above the boiling point of water freaked me out. I found the VFRD board and posed this very question to the uber-experienced membership; the reply was, to paraphrase, that the bike normally gets up to 220 especially in stop-and-go surface street traffic, and it’s normal. As long as the fan comes on at about 220, no worries.

Currently, there’s a discussion about the next iteration of Interceptor… and if pictures are in circulation…

Yes! Finally! A deal was struck, and I am riding an awesome motorcycle.

I began looking through craigslist ads of private motorcycles for sale. My first spark of interest was a 1982 Kawsaki GPz 550 that was selling for $900… that was sold before I could see it. I checked out a 1986 Yamaha FJ1200, and a 1984 Honda V65 Sabre.

Then, I moved up the price bracket and found a very nice 2000 Kawasaki ZRX 1100.But, get this: I completed a credit application, and was notified that I was approved for credit. (I was putting $1,000 down and the bike cost $4,000 so I wasn’t financing too much, really.) I took most of Friday off from work to drive 35 miles to a dealership… I presented my pay stub… and was told there was a problem. The financing guys assumed that, given the monthly gross I make from my job, I’d have X dollars year-to-date. Well, I had earned about about one thousand bucks less than that amount, and they said that I would have to have my wife come in and cosign for the loan and have her income figured in.

1) one hour and forty five minutes in driving time round trip to and from the dealership

2) Took most of Friday off of work to go down there and fiddle around.

I therefore decided I’d stick within a 8 mile radius of dealerships from  my house. Luckily for me, RideWest BMW had a couple of good candidate bikes to check out.

I went in on Saturday morning expecting to make a deal on the 2005 Ducati Monster Dark 2SR, a lovely 800cc hooligan naked bike. Thing is, its seating position was way more aggressive and sporty than I liked.

Right next to it was a lovely blood red 2002 Honda Interceptor VFR800Fi. It was just $500 more than the Ducati. A set of hard luggage installed, just over 18k miles on the odometer.

Now, I’ve not kept up with Interceptors since 1987, when the Interceptors of that vintage were the motorcycle on the streets. Interceptors have changed since then to become more sport tourers than canyon carving sportbike kings.

Which was fine with me.

I made a little walk-around video and it can be seen here:

Found a very good price on a 1986 Yamaha FJ1200, with just about 46k miles on the odometer.  A very nice young guy (who originally hails from New York State) is selling it. I’m not in love with it now, but I think it has potential. And I love those damn bikes. Have since 1984 when they came out.

The FJ pictured to the left is a 1985 FJ1100, but the ‘86 FJ1200 is very similar in color scheme and appearance. The current owner uses it as a daily rider, so that says something to me regarding his trust of his machine (when I drove out to his place to check ‘er out, I actually trailed him home the last mile or so, it turns out).

It’s not terribly clean, it will need some shop time, and it will need some cosmetic attention. But the asking price of fifteen hundred bucks seems pretty fair to me. I could see spending another grand at the shop to really bring it up to nice shape, do some aesthetic improvements…

I’ll sleep on it…

I cannot deny the call any longer! I’m going to go check out some 80’s-era motorcycles tomorrow in the Seattle area.

There’s a V65 Magna in Bothell, two different V65 Sabres, maybe a Suzuki GS 750 E, and if none of those turn my crank my yanks, then the seller of a 1986 FJ1200 comes back on Monday and I’ll check that out.

A fellow had a lovely 1982 Kawasaki KZ550 H1 (GPz) and he took $900 for it. Didn’t think that would last long. Another seller is probably going to sell their 1985 Honda Nighthawk 650 tomorrow at 8am, they only want $1100 for that which is a steal.

So maybe this time tomorrow I’ll have a new ride in the stable!