[Ducati] 'new' bike

[Thurmans]

Fellow motorcycle enthusiasts,

My 32 years without a bike are over.

The kids were out of the house and on their own.
And I had a growing desire to ride out to Spokane.

So 2 years ago I started my research.
I made a short list of bikes that I could both afford and would be 
comfortable and dependable.
I also wanted a bike that was nimble, not a Goldwing.

Friday evening I saw a bike pop up on Craig's list.
It was in my neighborhood so I drove over to see it.

I found a very clean 1986 BMW R80RT with only 45k miles on the clock.
The owner happened to be an American Airlines mechanic.
He bought it 2 years ago from the original owner in Minneapolis and road 
it back to Austin.
He had freshened up the bike by rebuilding the carbs and forks.
It had a new tire on the front, good rubber on back.

An hour and a half later the bike was mine.
Saturday I bought a helmet and jacket and gloves.
And in the evening went for a ride across Austin to visit my son.
By the time I got home last night the initial nervousness of riding had 
given way
to that long forgotten sublime feeling.

I bought it with the intention of riding across the west on my way to 
Spokane.
This I may do this summer.
My son, Daniel even expressed a desire to ride with me.
That was a total surprise.
He has never been on a bike.
He will have to take the class and get a bike.
It would be a great time for us to have an adventure together.

In the mean time I will continue enjoying you guys and gals on the 
Ducati Group.

And, I will sign up for a riding school that Warren (of Ducati Austin) 
recommends in the area.

Thank you all for the educational and entertaining banter for the 2 
years that I've been on the list.
Maybe there will still be a Ducati in my future, but either way, you 
guys are the best.

Happy riding
Darrel
:-)