We live in exciting times

We definitely live in exciting times. Pessimists will tell you the global situation is but a glimpse of the imminent Armageddon, but I've always been an optimist. For me the tank is always half full.

If you, like me, have been living in Thailand for the past 10 years, then you know that there has never been such a variety of easily accessible bikes on the market right now. There is literally something for every taste and wallet. Like I said, EXCITING!

Today's post is not about the marketplace, though. It is about a very specific bike, namely MY NEXT BIKE! YESSSSS

My current bike is a 2009 Kawasaki ER6n I bought 2 years ago. Read the story here.
At that time it was the best value for money and it was indeed a great bike, reliable and fun. I like it a lot, but that's exactly it....I like it, but I don't love it. I've always been attracted by classic bikes. In fact, all my bikes were made in the past millennium, except for the ER.
I could give you a list of rational explanations, but the short (and most significant) reason is simply that I've fallen in love, and my new love is called...

Street Twin!

Last week I went to the nearest Triumph dealer and tested all their bikes, but the ST was the bike I had in mind from the beginning. Turns out it was like I hoped it would be, and more.

Testing the bike's capability with a passenger. Thanks Colm for riding bitch!

Next step is selling the ER to make space for the ST.

By now you may wonder "How does he get away with buying another bike? Isn't he married?"

Well yes, I am indeed, but like every good (married) bike collector, over time I have refined my arsenal of tactics to break down the inevitable resistance.

If you're a newbie in collecting bikes, you might want to check out this helpful video :-)

And with that, I salute you and wish you pleasant rides, wherever you are.

Veni Vidi Vinci!

The year was 2009.
Kawasaki just released a bike that would revolutionize the entire motorcycle scene in Thailand. Until then big bike lovers had to either ride 20 years old unregistered Honda SuperFours 400 and Yamaha SR400, or spend a fortune on imported bikes. That all changed with the Thai made Kawasaki ER6n and f. The ER already had a great reputation and thanks to being produced in Thailand, was sold at a reasonable price. Those are the ingredients for an instant hit everywhere and Thailand was no different.

2009 was also the year I was in the market for a bigger bike and I had the SR400 on one side of the scale and the ER on the other. Eventually, financial reasons made me opt for the SR and I definitely have no regrets about that choice, au contraire!
Still, that unfulfilled desire never left me. It lingered and brooded just under the surface, kept down there by my hand brake...eh, I mean my wife.

Lately though, I've been thinking more and more about my old love, frequently scanning English and Thai classified sites. Until (insert heavenly choir here), a short but very interesting ad got my attention: Sell 2009 Kawasaki ER6n with only 69km in showroom condition.
A five year old bike with only 69km on the clock? I can't be true, ...or can it?

Cut a long(ish) story short, the seller (Mr V), bought the bike a few months after its release. Due to a back injury he never rode it further than up and down the road in front of his house. He kept it running once a week or so, to keep the battery alive and the internals working. Other than that, it hardly ever saw the light of the day. I like to think that he kept it ready just for the right time when I would be ready to buy it. These aren't just coincidences...these are synchronicities; perfectly interwoven events that give unexpected results. It is exactly the model I liked (2009-2011), the colour I always preferred and in a condition I've never dreamed of finding. How could I let such an opportunity pass me by, you may ask. Well, I didn't.

So, here I am with my new (old) bike!
Riding it home from Bangkok, I rode more km than Mr V did in 5 years! Quite funny, actually.

Thank you Mr V! It was a pleasure to meet you. I promise I will take care of her just like you did for the past 5 years. I'll ride her more, though. :-))))