Falcon and My Ego

WHAT!? WHY Such a Big Bike?!?

Simple: even with repair costs factored in, the bike is cheaper than any other used DL650 or DL1000 I have seen. On top of that, I have strongly desired a motorcycle that can safely haul my 6'4", 300 lb. frame, and all of the gear that I may decide to take with me, around the shire. I have had a few people (both amateur and professional riders) tell me that they would not have started me out on a 996 cc. sport-tuned V-Twin in the first place. I must be crazy, right?

Actually, I do have two other driving reasons to not start out on a DL650: Experience and Ego.

Experience: I don't know why, but when I was much younger, I wanted very badly to learn to ride a horse. In order to earn the privilege, I had to muck stalls. For two years I would start my Saturdays ride my bicycle up one of the steepest hills in the county, muck at least 10 stalls, and then take my lesson on on of the oldest, surliest, nastiest horses in the barn that went by the name of Falcon. I look back fondly on those years, because I finally figured out what it meant to work hard for something that I desired. I also learned that the most sweetest victories are those which are most hardly won. When it was all over, I was extremely proud to have been the kid that worked so hard to earn lessons, and to be the first to get Falcon to canter at will. I stopped riding shortly after Falcon passed away. I had grown so accustomed to dealing with the most ornery horse in the arena, that nearly every other horse I rode was a total let-down because I didn't have to work as hard. The spirit of the game was lost. I didn't want the safe horse, I wanted Falcon.

I see the DL1000 as my new 'Falcon.' In fact, I have decided to name it 'Falcon' from here on out.

The funny thing is, no one ever knew that the old Falcon was a nut for baby carrots. As soon as I had found his weakness, we established a new rapport, and he decided that I was not a bad person to haul around the Arena after all. Through adversity, I gained greater skills.

Ego: I just don't want a DL650. Not when I can have a DL1000.