On the road of adventure

The Beast on the road to Stanley, Idaho. Here is the bike that in one summer I logged at least 4,000 miles on. It's a "heinz-57" beemer (meaning the frame, engine, tank etc. come from various donors). The sidecar is an old Chang Jiang. I don't think it is PLO issue (Peoples Liberation Army) I've been throughout China and have seen quite a few of these that may have been converted military cars, but it's hard telling what I have exactly. I think it may be newer because of the black paint I found over red oxide primer and metal, but either way, it is old. It has a 900 cc engine with mikuni (o?) carbs and loaded down for camping can go 75 mph down the highway.
I started motorcycling several years ago when I saw an ad in a paper, had a thousand bucks in my pocket, a hankering for adventure and a friend named Bill who could get anything running. He went with me to look at the old Triumph daytona (500cc) and he determined we could get it running, and I determined that I would look really cool riding it. He fixed it, I fixed up the cosmetics and I rode that smelly, noisy little yellow bomb around until it just got too tired. I took it in for a professional "assessment" from a Brit specialist near my home and never brought it back. I got the "bad-news/ good-news" report from the mechanic. Bad news- "this is gonna cost you", but the good news is one of the other customers will give you $1500 for it as it stands. I couldn't afford to not sell it. I never saw it again.
The road trips I had dreamed of (you know the Bronson type trips with the sleeping bag tied to the forks...I know Bronson didn't ride a triumph-I think it was an old sportster) never happened. New bikes were cool, but the romantic side of me thought the trip was much cooler on the old bike. So I started researching and determined that the old boxers (BMW) were a way to get the cool old look with actual dependability. I could venture further that 5 miles from a tool box for the first time and though it didn't look as cool as the Triumph, I could accomplish the dream.
So I located a nice 71' R 75/5 on EBAY and I pressed the buy it now button. I went to San Francisco to trailer it home ( I was visiting family anyway in Paso Robles...what's a little detour when a vintage bike is at stake?) and I began a relationship with BMW. I loved that little bike. It was dependable, fast, stable, economical and I could pack it like a mule and ride long distances. And I did. The Northwest mountains provide some of the most beautiful and picturesque riding available in America. I've ridden most of the Western States and I'm sure there are many places yet to see...but I love riding up here. I rode that little beemer all over the place, but started thinking that even though vintage was cool...maybe I was missing out.
I saw all of the amazing new cruisers on the market and I determined that what I really needed was a new road bike. I chose a new Honda VTX 1300 and the guys down at Canyon Honda in Nampa, Idaho gave me a killer deal...so I bought it. The bike, the service and experience were great, but I don't own that one anymore...I got bored.
I had the bike all decked out for riding and put about 6,000 miles on it over the year. On a trip to Walowa Lake, Oregon I realized that I missed the vibration, the smell and sounds of vintage tin. I think my wife thought I was crazy, but when I got home, I told her I was trading...not up, but backwards!
I was going back to vintage bikes. They're cheaper, noisier, smellier, less dependable and don't require a technician to fix. So the adventure of shopping for the new bike began. I don't care what you guys say about hating shopping...put four thousand bucks in your pocket and a nation full of EBay bike ads...and you will shop! In fact have you ever noticed that when you finally plunk down the cash...some of the fun is gone? It's like getting your deer or bull elk and then realizing no one is going to help you pack it off the side of the mountain. The "hunt" for the bike in my life had begun and I was leaning heavy toward another old beemer. Stay tuned now for how the hunt ends. Thanks for reading.