So I didn't join a biker gang, but I did get a motorcycle. How badass would it be if I did join a motorcycle gang though? Would it be like Sons of Anarchy or would we just be hipsters with beards and patches? Who knows. The title is a bit misleading, but pretty catchy and now you're here so I'll tell you about my bike.
It is a 1998 Honda Shadow 600 VTX and I love everything about it, both the good and the weird. It has enough power to keep me interested and keep myself alive and well. One weird thing it that it doesn't have a gas gauge, like there is nothing on the bike to tell me how much gas I have left in the tank. However I found out that I get exactly 40 miles per gallon. You might be sitting there, asking yourself "How did he find this out?" Did he do his research? Did he ask other people or a mechanic? The answer is I tested it out for myself, after running out of gas twice on the highway (another story in of itself) I found out that I can go 80 miles on a two gallon tank fill up before I completely run out of gas and clog the flow of traffic.
I think a 600 is the perfect starter bike considering I had a grand total of 6.5 hours of riding experience in a parking lot under supervision before buying this beautiful machine. It handles really well around turns, has a good amount of torque, and is always fun to ride. I smile every time I ride it, it's just that much fun. I have around 8 different motorcycle trips planned in my head right now, but am looking for the time, money, and experience to pull all of them off. I'll start by knocking out a few local one's first to get my confidence and experience up. Next one I'm planning on doing is a trip to Santa Cruz all along Highway 1, probably in the next week or two.