<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nei6FY1p2cg/Vpv1sZ4reWI/AAAAAAAAAB4/mWNdRcHpLfU/s1600/IMG_20150721_065737.jpg> In January 2015, I started getting the itch. I'd never owned a bike before, but the idea had taken root and started to grow on me. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had become the dreaded D-word, "domesticated." In the last few years, I had went from being an independent, amateur sports car enthusiast with dreams of racing professionally, to an affi anced father who drives a sensible Japanese sedan to work. Over about four months, the itch for a motorcycle grew into a desire, then into a need. I was never much of a Harley guy, for a variety of reasons. I found that the look of standard/classic bikes tripped my trigger. I did my homework, and decided I wanted a Bonneville T100 Black, however the man at the bank thought otherwise. In my hunt for something similar, I found a 1983 Honda CB650 SC Nighthawk with 18,000 miles on the clock for $600. The previous owner had the mind to work on the bike, but not the ability (e.g., instead of getting a new valve cover gasket, he just put some orange caulking in there...) With about $600 in parts, and some elbow grease from my mechanic dad, I had a bike that looked and ran almost like new! We rebuilt the carburetors, replaced the valve cover gasket, changed the oil and oil filter, the air filter, got new left and right body side panels, got a matched set of headlights and tail lights (as opposed to the mismatched strays the prior owner had installed), front fork seals, and a new front tire for a match set (the back tire was brand new). Over the summer of 2015, I put close to 5,000 miles on it. It's January right now, and I often find myself pining for warmer weather so that I can get my bike back out. Where else can you spend $1,200 and get a vehicle that's nearly as fast as a first-gen Viper? My Nighthawk has been a joy, and riding it has become a true passion. She might be a little bit of an old mutt, but she's my old mutt, and I wouldn't trade her for anything.
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