Visit to RideNow (December 28,2010)

Over Christmas, has been a most interesting holiday...got a bit of snow here as part of the virtually national blizzard. Been a good week so far to enjoy "American Chopper" reruns, and to also catch up on Sons of Anarchy on Hulu. Temperature outside is rising, the snow is melting, and a ride is coming up this Friday on the Vulcan. Did get out in the car for a bit to check out some of the bikes at RideNow in Concord, NC. Under new management, the store had some really good deals. Motorcycle sales I have read have taken a real pounding during the recession, plus some other factors have come into play as well from what I am reading.
This is a look at some of the sales floor, and that is a nice looking Yamaha cruiser in the foreground. I am a big fan of the cruiser style of bikes, course there is a lot of variety in types of motorcycles, and that is one of them. Size and power are the big deal in American motorcycling. Most cruisers (with some exceptions) are down on power (big on torque though); my Vulcan with its 1500 cc engine puts out a little over 50 hp, many sportbikes get close to (or at) 200 hp. I like the room and the weight of the big bikes, but with size and power costs rise both to service, insure, and even to fuel the big motors. Course have not even mentioned the purchase prices!
Been reading that gas prices are back at $3 a gallon (and that for regular, many of the high performance bikes, and even my Vulcan require Super) and these bikes seen here (Kawasaki Ninja 250's) will probably make a big comeback this year if that is so. Already a huge seller for Kawasaki the Ninja 250 gets remarkable fuel mileage, and can run at a top speed of close to 100mph. Sure does not have neck snapping horsepower, but cheap to buy (MSRP $3999), cheap to maintain, and a fun bike to ride. Plus, you can get a lot of riding in while riding past a whole lot of gas pumps. Honda is joining the 250 ranks, with a new bike this year, and looking forward to checking that out, will have photos here this Spring when it reaches the sales floor. Unlike the Ninja 250 (which is a twin) the Honda will be a single.
As for me, got a ride coming up in just a few days. The temperature is rising, the snow is melting, and the road is calling me out. That will be the subject of my next post here soon!