due to parting the hawk and buying a new bike i have not been around here as much as i would like. it has turned out, though, that this has been a long trip through some unfamiliar waters and i thought this was the best place for the story.


this storry starts what about 1.5 to 2 years ago now? i was having some trouble with the hawk and was a bit tired of working on it. it wasn't in the best condition when i got it and had spent more then the wife acceptance factor had aloud in getting most of the leaks and squaks and quirks worked out.

i guess this is a good time to make my first point of interest. through out my life i have owned several motorcycles, none of them new. most of them not running when i got them or running but missing major components. also i have never had a payment for any of these acquirements. they have been trades or small sums of cash that i happily handed over, etc. anyways back to the story.

so i get the genius idea of parting the hawk, using the funds to pay off my credit card. then buying a new motorcycle. as in brand new, my selling point here is that it should be maintenance free, have a warranty, and be free of issues for years to come. this was like right out of a movie where you see person start their spiel just knowing the other side is going to shoot them down, they are halfway through their defense speech when they realize said other party actyually said 'yes'. then there is the moment of 'wait....what did you say' and after the shock clears you move on to the next step of finding 'the perfect bike' or failure, stage 1. (anyone else here use to watch rocky and bullwinkle???)

we quickly come up with a budget that shocked even me and i start parting the hawk. along the way i find the problem with the hawk is different then i originally thought but still the issue is there. so continuing along i spend like 4+ months researching bikes, talking to salesperson after salesperson. working deals and doing some prehaggleing. i come to 2 options, aprilia factory tuono and benelli sport evo tnt. both top spec in their range, both now in the same price range.

small injection here, im about 99% sure i would be sitting here in the same boat no matter which one of these to awesome bikes i had picked. so i by no means and blaming any of my problems on the bike or manufacturer. both of these bikes are modern marvels of art and engineering.

so i sign up for the benelli, contact the dealer and start the process. that was more pain and suffering then any one person should go through anyways. now i use to work at a used car lot, i know that they are not going to win any humanity of the year awards but still, at least attempt to make it look like you are working with them. anyways another couple months down the tubes and i have my bike.

about a week later i have a title and keys, then tags and insurance. (try and insure either a benelli or an aprilia when you live in a farm town) and the bike wont start. idle **** is screwed all the way in. whatever, stuff happens, continuing on.

im in love with the bike, and after a couple of rides the wife likes it very much. much more comfortable then the hawk. performance is better in all areas. all is well.

i actually work about 2 blocks from my house, on nice days it is faster to walk to work then get the bike out and ride it there. but ive noticed that even on the rare chance that i am just going to the bank or something i still dont take the bike. i FEAR leaving it in a parking lot for more then 30 seconds unatended. i dont even let my own kids near the thing. o.k. well im just going to use it for spare time trips around the county where my point of departure and destination are one in the same... to make a long part short. in the year i have had it i have put less then 100 miles on the bike.


this is not how having a motorcycle should be. they are suppose to be FUN. something you can jump on and take the wife out to dinner on. and while everyone worrys about someone knocking their bike over, it should not be so bad that it ruins your evening. like that guy who has his dream car, saves for 10 years to make a downpayment on one, gets it and then it sits in the garage under a car cover until he passes away. its totally a waste and should have stayed a dream.

so at some point i will have a regular bike, one i found a good deal on that has been wrcked or not taken care of. i dont mind having to put some elbow grease into something. and if i got it ALREADY IN rough shape there is no reason for making it show quality, so if it sits in a parking lot while im eating dinner no big deal. i got more comments on how awesome my super hawk was then i have on this benelli. maybe because i actually let it out of the garage on occasion. but superhawks are awesome, they are unique, mine had been personalized by me and was unlike any other hawk. just like 90% of hawks. actually being stock might be more unique on a superhawk.

i guess what im trying to say with this long winded post is, anyone wanna buy a mint condition benelli???