Hello All,
I've been lurking for a week or so, and decided it was time to introduce myself. My name is Monte, and I'm a 42yo living in central VA. I started riding at 25 on an '80 Yamaha 650 Special II. Other bikes I've owned include an '86 Honda 700 Nighthawk S, an '83 Honda V65 Magna, and a '75 Honda CB550 Four. I rode year round for about 8 years, until a chance meeting between my front tire and a roofing nail on the highway left me with a plate and seven screws in my shoulder as a souvenir. Since then, I've rarely ridden, but the \"itch\" to get another bike has gotten worse and worse.
Last week, I stopped by my local dealer with a good friend and found an '04 FZ1. The pricetag was $4500, so I figured it had a lot of miles on it. When I learned it only had 3051 miles on it, I was truly in love. I wanted it on the spot, but my friend dragged me out of the store lol. I went home to do my \"due diligence\", checking blue book value, reviews, etc. After two hours, my mind was made up, and we returned that same afternoon. My buddy suggested I ask them to throw in a helmet and store credit for a back tire, and they agreed!
So far, I'm taking it slow, mainly just trolling around my apartment complex, getting used to the clutch, throttle, and brakes. I plan to take the MSF class as a refresher before I do any street riding, but at least I'll have a chance to get my riding legs back in the meantime.
Anyway, sorry for the long intro, and thanks for the chance to participate in a great forum. Here is a pic of my new baby. She looks pretty much stock, so I'm sure there will be plenty of mods to come.