New bike in the barn, it's still a Honda

So some of you who hang around the chat feature of VFRW have been watching me rant on and on about trading off my '07 Yamaha Grizzly 660 for a street bike. For those who haven't heard it, here's the story again, and for those who've listened over and over; finally, the end.....

The wife and I decided that we weren't using the ATV enough and that we'd get a lot more use out of a cruiser type bike. I washed up my Grizz and put it on Craigslist last week. Received a call from a local used bike shop wanting to work out a trade.


I filled in the sales guy on what I was looking for and at first it appeared we'd be able to work a deal on this '03 Honda Shadow 750 and a '91 VF750 in trade for my Grizz and my 1st gen mini-ceptor. In the end, we couldn't work that deal out because the '91 was a consignment bike and there just wasn't enough margin to get it done.

We looked a few options but the deal we liked the best was the Grizz for the '03 Shadow plus they were offering $450 cash back to me. Looking across the board and the value of the Grizz and the Shadow, it wasn't adding up so I countered by asking for $1000 in store credit. He said he'd check.

Wife and I looked at riding gear which we had none of (except motoX helmets). The lady that helped us was real friendly and knowlegable. She mentioned that if we bought a bike today that we'd get all the gear we wanted to buy at 20% off.

So the sales guy comes back and says that the owner didn't want to do the deal but the sales manager did (yea right). And the sales mgr countered with an offer of $600 store credit. I countered by asking if that was $600 in credit at 20% off :biggrin:.

So, that's the deal we ended up with. I considered saying hell with it and loading my stuff back up to see if there was anything else on the table. But, I figured it was a pretty fair deal all around and went with it. I picked out a Firstgear Kjaro jacket (great winter coat) and a pair of gloves. The wife picked out an Alpinestars coat, gloves, and a full face helmet. (I think I have a helmet coming for Christmas).

So, in the end, I wrote a check for $78bucks. Kept my mini-ceptor, got proper gear for both of us, and got a Shadow 750 in the garage with vance & hines pipes along with the other extras you can see here. She's grimey, I did over 100 miles today and I was the only swingin pee-pee on two wheels anywhere near my neck of the woods. Main roads were wet, backroads were shrushy and snowpacked.

 

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I've noticed that forks seem to be about the most neglected maintenance on motorcycles. After I ride her for a few weeks, I'll get right after that.

I'll be checking out her shop soon enough, but don't think you'll be seeing me in assless chaps and a Harley vest pal!

Laugh my ass off!!!

Not sure if I was agonizing so much as being that excited child 2 days before Christmas that won't shut up about opening presents or what might be under the tree! :biggrin:

We'll see. She's a lot more attracted to the cruisers than the sport bikes. I like having both options. Feels like having a Caddy and a Mustang in the barn.

Gave her a sponge bath in the garage today. Gassed up and ready to get filthy again tomorrow on the commute down to the Denver office!

That was the windscreen that came with the bike when I got it so I couldn't say. Sorry

Thanks for all the kind words folks! I will say that once I got back on Saturday from 100+ miles on the cruiser, my body felt a lot better. But - I sure wanted to jump back on the VF500 for a quick spin thru town!