Me…and…my…shaaaadow! My Honda Shadow, that is!
I never imagined that a bigger bike would be so much easier to manouvre but it is. It’s heavier and just more substantial Here’s a side-by-side comparison:
The new bike is wider and I did feel a little bit like I’d been riding a horse after my test drive but that’s just something to get used to. This one doesn’t have a fuel gauge either! No one seems to know why. I mean, really, what could it be, a $50 part? I would pay another $100 to not have to remember the odometer reading every time I fuel up. Bernice the second’s gas tank is bigger – I should get another 50 or 75 kms per tank and I don’t have to use supreme. The original Bernice would cough and sputter if I put anything but the top grade fuel in her tank.
Bernice’s Shadow had 10 kms on her when I picked her up. Those were put on during test drives by the technicians. If I were a technician taking a brand new bike out for a spin I don’t know that I would limit the drive to just 10 kms! The big windshield and leather saddlebags came with her. I had the crash bars installed and Derek will put my highway pegs on them. The original Bernice was so small that putting my feet on the highway pegs didn’t give me another riding position. All it did was lift my feet a few inches. On this bike, I will get a bit of a stretch when I use the pegs, which is the point, really.
The bike comes with some cool safety features like a foot guard so your boot can’t touch the hot pipe while you ride . The bike will automatically shut off – and not start – if the kickstand is down. It was tempting to ride her to work the first morning but I think I should do a little casual touring around and become more familiar with her before I get into stop and go traffic. Safety first, after all. In a nutshell: Wheeeeee!
Congrats on your new addition! 🙂 She’s very pretty.