I last owned a motorcycle around 4.5 years ago. It was a Kawasaki GPZ500 and I used it to get to and from work every day. In glorious sunshine and snow, I rode that bike, and I loved it. I spent time tweaking little things around it, tending to the small fixes a 15 year old bike needs, and keeping it road ready. I missed having a bike, though I didn’t miss the cold mornings when I had to dress in some much motorcycle gear.
Fast forward to late last year. Conversation about a motorcycle trip abroad, which has taken place at various point over the past 18 months, comes up with a definite plan. I’ll be heading to Majorca with my father in law to ride some classic bikes for a few days. I’m excited to be heading somewhere warm to ride some great roads for a few days, but also have some trepidation as I’ve not ridden in so long.
Fast forward again to January, and my wife tells me I can investigate buying a bike. I look online, we go into showrooms, and we end up looking in Ducati. I’ve seen the Scrambler elsewhere, my wife really loves the Scrambler style as it reminds her of what her dad used to ride, so here we are, looking at getting something brand new. Not what I was expecting when getting a bike was mentioned, and this would be my first brand new vehicle that’s actually mine. A second visit gets the paperwork signed, and then it’s time to wait for my bike to arrive in the UK, and the new registration plate to be released.
A couple of days into March, and I collect my brand new Ducati Scrambler in Silver Ice, a brand new colour just released for 2017. As I ride it away, I am nervous. Not riding for this long means I’m sure to be rusty. Maybe I’ve forgotten a lot of stuff, as I only rode for about 15 months when I previously owned a bike; I was a late starter. I think about the various twists and turns on my route home and hope I don’t end up coming off. Of course, I make it home in one piece, and loved being back on 2 wheels.
It’s been a couple of months since I picked up the bike, and despite the Scottish weather trying to stifle my plans, I’ve managed to get out a few times, racking up a couple of hundred miles. Knowing that a bright day means I’ll probably be heading out for a while, smile on my face, with nowhere to be and nothing to aim for is a wonderful feeling. The bike is great; easy to ride, fun to get around on, and has no issues getting up to speed. It’s everything I was hoping it would be.
So, what’s next? Well spring hasn’t really kicked in properly in Scotland, but there’s several months of excellent riding ahead. There’s also that trip to Majorca coming soon, which should be lots of fun, and really put me in the mood to get out a lot more when I get back home.
I’m a lucky boy for various reasons. Being able to own a bike again, and it being brand new, is one of the more recent reasons I’m lucky.
