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I have this habit of keeping an eye out for GSes (and other vintage bikes).
You may have seen that I have posted a few "sightings" over the recent years.
In my work I go to a few different customers locations, and in my travels I have come to know where the motorcycles park at the various places that I often go past, and look most every time. If I see what could be a bike of our vintage, I will go thru that parking lot to get a better look.
The other day I was going past this particular place, and know to look in this particular portion of that parking lot where bikes often park. I saw what looked like could possibly be a 70s or 80s UJM that I dont recall seeing before, and was about to slow down to turn in to get a better look, then thought, naw, thats a Kawasaki. I surprised myself that I could recognize a Kawasaki from a Suzuki from such a distance. (I think the distiunguising feature was just the general porportions of the tank emblem, and the raised center of the tank.)
Yah, I surprised myself. Made me stop and ponder a few things. Made me think of a few things.
- What a strange thing to be doing so often.
- Have not really seen many GSes in recent years.
- Hey, these bikes are 30 years old.
- Why should I expect to find one? Even a bike from 90s could be 20 years old. Bike from early 2000s is 10 years old.
- Who would have a 30 year old bike and be riding it to work? Lets see; Old guy that has had bikes since the 70-80s and for whatever reason never got a more current bike. Somebody getting first bike and not wanting to spend too much. SOmebody that cant spend much on a bike.
I suppose that is all fairly obvious, but somehow I now see it in a different light.
WHen I got the 82' 650G it was a current model (had it for 20+ years). When I got the 80 850G it was 14 years old (had it for 12+ years). WHen I got the 82 1100GK it was 25 years old (have had for 5+ years now).
I suppose it is just another example of more and more things about me becomming vintage.
Dave
You may have seen that I have posted a few "sightings" over the recent years.
In my work I go to a few different customers locations, and in my travels I have come to know where the motorcycles park at the various places that I often go past, and look most every time. If I see what could be a bike of our vintage, I will go thru that parking lot to get a better look.
The other day I was going past this particular place, and know to look in this particular portion of that parking lot where bikes often park. I saw what looked like could possibly be a 70s or 80s UJM that I dont recall seeing before, and was about to slow down to turn in to get a better look, then thought, naw, thats a Kawasaki. I surprised myself that I could recognize a Kawasaki from a Suzuki from such a distance. (I think the distiunguising feature was just the general porportions of the tank emblem, and the raised center of the tank.)
Yah, I surprised myself. Made me stop and ponder a few things. Made me think of a few things.
- What a strange thing to be doing so often.
- Have not really seen many GSes in recent years.
- Hey, these bikes are 30 years old.
- Why should I expect to find one? Even a bike from 90s could be 20 years old. Bike from early 2000s is 10 years old.
- Who would have a 30 year old bike and be riding it to work? Lets see; Old guy that has had bikes since the 70-80s and for whatever reason never got a more current bike. Somebody getting first bike and not wanting to spend too much. SOmebody that cant spend much on a bike.
I suppose that is all fairly obvious, but somehow I now see it in a different light.
WHen I got the 82' 650G it was a current model (had it for 20+ years). When I got the 80 850G it was 14 years old (had it for 12+ years). WHen I got the 82 1100GK it was 25 years old (have had for 5+ years now).
I suppose it is just another example of more and more things about me becomming vintage.
Dave
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I suppose we get imprinted at the time we begin our affairs with these old bikes and Kawi's were my introduction. As time went on there was always one non-Kawi model that I always wanted... the GS1000S. Now that I have one, I'm enjoying the huge learning curve in discovering all of the idiosyncrasies of the Suzuki brand!
I'm omnivorous in checking out all of the old UJM's, the Golden Age for sure!
How 'bout just putting a sign up in every bike shop sayin' “We will not work on bikes over 20 years old.” 
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