At only eight years old, I’ve experienced more than most of my kind.
I was purchased into a motorcycle family, among the adventure style bikes and a couple of cruisers. I was by far the smallest of the bunch. A KTM Duke 390; I was my rider’s first motorcycle and she treated me pretty well.
We went on all the adventures together until last summer when she parked me and never looked back. I’ve since heard grumbling that she can’t go for a ride because she had a couple of kids that keep her preoccupied.
Instead of keeping me locked up in the garage, she has listed me to go to another rider. A second lease on life with a new rider would be my best case scenario now. And for anyone looking, I gotta say, I’m small but surprisingly powerful, and I’m great for someone just starting out.
Over the years, I put on many miles and my performance has been impeccable.
In my second summer, I found myself weighed down by heavy bags that barely left enough room for anyone to sit on my sheepskin clad seat. With my rider squeezed between the luggage and camping gear, we ventured all the way up to Dawson City in the Yukon, onto a muddy Dempster Highway, and then on into the Arctic Circle.
I experienced bright skies at midnight while every motorcycle in our little gang got their tires changed before hitting the slick roads. Mud covered every part of my orange exterior, but I was back to my bright self after a quick wash. I even managed to stay upright through the mud despite one of the adventure bikes not quite making it through.
Exciting camping trips, weaving B.C. roads, and even a couple of bear encounters flood my memory. But on the more mundane days, I loyally brought my rider to and from work. I waited outside as she worked and watched the traffic float by in a little town called Hinton.
Nowadays, I don’t see much traffic anymore but I'm sure a new rider can keep my dreams of being an adventure bike alive.
As for my rider, I heard she’s downsizing to a dirt bike that eventually her kids can take over.
Maybe one day we will meet again.
