Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Letter to Han Son on Motorcycling & Bicycles

Hey Han,

Thanks so much for this great letter. A BIG response to my wee little comment, but I do still enjoy seeing your photos posted from Europe.

Back to work eh, and more investments on that property in Brussels, it's ok, your retirement to travel the world is secured, what a great investment it has been. We never would have met in Gyeongju, had you been a salary man with a desk job all your life, wouldn't that be Zzzzing!

I'm well familiar with the RF900R, I remember the adverts in motorcycle magazines, and I always compared bikes, dreaming of some I would like to ride. Unfortunately, I never had the budget to ride and travel, so as you ave done now, I would buy either the small 500cc sport-styled Suzuki GS or Kawasaki EX, and cross country (USA/Canada). Then I got lucky a couple times and bought the beautiful '86 Kawasaki ZX600R, red/white/blue, paint in immaculate condition, foot peg, mirrors and signals were broken on 1 side, owner considered it a write-off, I bought the entire bike for $400USD, straightened the right handlebar with torches in a local Windsor, Ontario garage, and a Heli-welded did the footpeg for a case of beer, $20 and some burned Turkish music. I rode that bike from Windsor, ON to Colorado, USA to Phoenix, Arizona and then San Francisco, CA and up to Vancouver, B.C. that was my last great tour on a motorcycle. Later in 2000-2001, I picked up the Honda VFR 700 in San Francisco, through Auto Trader bike sell magazine.

The '86 Honda VFR 700, fixed all the cracked bodywork (fiberglass and bondo), sprayed all the pieces and the tank flat-primer black, and water-sanded smooooth, then sprayed a light hard coating of clear paint to shine/seal it. Had the VFR in California in 2000-2001, and also a CBR 600 F4i in 2005 (too fast, braking too slow!).

I've retired to bicycle touring until I finish the 25000km ride in 2012. Then I would like to try anything, if time and vacation present itself.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2009/07/177_48460.html

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