Motorcycles

[Bob Zumbrunnen]

I was considering the Harley as an option when I bought the Gold Wing. At the time, I couldn't find anything on BMW's website about the K1200 LT, so had no idea they made a Wing competitor. Had I known, I would've gotten it.

The Harley was nixed because it didn't have as much gee-whiz gadgetry (which I'm quite fond of and why I now own a Chevy heavy-duty in LT trim rather than my old Ford in Lariat), was about $7k pricier, and I would've had to wait 6 months to get the bike.

Were it not for the 6-month wait, it's entirely possible (though not terribly likely), I would've accepted the $7k premium and lack of gadgetry. Given the then-current condition of my ignorance of BMW having exactly the bike I really wanted.

And I'm still considering an 883 Sportster as an option once I get things settled with the Wing.

It's a tough call. Now that I'm making big payments on a truck again (the F350 was 6 years old and it was nice having no payments), getting both the Sportster and the K1200 isn't an option.

I do a LOT of riding when I'm home. If it's late at night and warm, I'm probably putting a lot of miles on the bike. Wouldn't want the Sportster for that. I like luxury for that kind of riding.

However, it's also VERY nice to tote a bike to the track with me to use to commute from the track to the hotel and to go cruising on surface streets at night. The Sporty would be great for that since it'd take up a lot less room in the trailer and the others just don't compare in terms of "soul".

Although, when I do drop off the rig at the track and ride to the hotel, I usually have my laptop and travel bag with me. Not sure if the Harley has decent enough provisions for that.

So I'll probably end up with the Beemer, and if a windfall ever happens, treat myself to a Sportster to haul to the track.

And we're thinking a windfall might just be possible. A lot of land within a couple miles of my house has recently sold for astronomical prices. Developers. And my 40 acres with a sizable lake is adjoining some of that land. So we're going to get the names of the developers and seek bids. For the right price, I'll move further south where land is cheaper. We're suspecting we just might get a large enough offer to move south, have a new and larger house built, and put up a workshop that makes my current 60x120 look like a shed.