Whoever said you can’t teach old dogs new tricks has never ridden a Harley-Davidson VRSCA. This old dog is now riding the first water cooled bike made by Harley. The V-Rod was offered up in 2002, but at the time I was still “old school” and riding a Twin Cam 88 Road King. I didn’t pay too much attention to the hype and went on about my business.
In 2005, I test drove a silver anniversary model 2003 VRSCA at KA Cycles in Cottonwood, Arizona. I was impressed with the ease of shifting and the smoothness of the lighter, rocket fast V-Rod, but, alas, I was still old school to the core. The ride left a lasting impression on me though, as did the looks of the bike. It reminded me of a Café racer, but still distinctly Harley-Davidson.
In 2010, I did the unthinkable and sold my Road King to help finance Evil in the Mirror and Day Stalker, two murder mysteries I had written and published. I missed my King, but was very excited to see my books on Amazon.com. Although my timing was lousy because we fell into the deepest recession since the Great Depression, I was determined to continue authoring and started my third novel, The Phoenix Code.
As fate would have it, I have returned to construction and started earning more money again. Now is the time to get back on a Harley. My decision to look for a V-Rod was one of common sense. I was tired of air-cooled bikes that didn’t much care for the hot Arizona sun, and they protested by pinging loudly if I let them idle too long in 100 plus degree heat. You could cook a full course meal on the engine! No such problem with the V-Rod; that is if I remember to check the water. The other issue is weight. I was also tired of man handling 750 pounds of road hog and welcomed the idea of only having to handle 575 pounds with a very low center of gravity. I also realize that my long hauls all over America are finished and that I don’t need a lot of storage space anymore.
I have found a perfect low mileage, “pristine silver,” Anniversary Model V-Rod at the best motorcycle store on the planet, Buddy Stubb’s Harley-Davidson in Phoenix, Arizona. I jumped at the chance to grab it up before someone else bought it. The V-Rod is truly is a cruiser on steroids and perfect for the short charity runs we have in northern Arizona. My first ride is for the Humane Society of Sedona, Arizona, in May. I look forward to riding with all my motorcycle friends again and at the same time supporting our favorite charities. Life is good….
I’m just saying, “I’m back,”
Mittster
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