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After 3.5 years the time came and I sold my 2001 Katana. I broke even with what I bought it for so I feel pretty good about the deal financially.
However, I also feel like I lost a little piece of my heart. The Kat was my second motorcycle. I bought my first bike about 1.5 years earlier. Shortly after buying it, I lost my job and had to sell it to pay rent. I missed having a motorcycle but never really got attached to my first bike. I didn't have it for long enough.
Finally, I was able to save up enough money to buy another motorcycle. And surprisingly I was able to get my wife on board pretty easily. We needed a second vehicle at the time so she gave me free reign over that decision. I picked up my Kat in November from Salt Lake City and rode it home to Provo, Utah.
This first ride (minus the short test drive) was all it took to fall in love. It was freezing riding down the freeway that night, but the roads were clear. I didn't have covered parking at my apartment, let alone a garage, to protect her from the elements. She had to sit under the cover that came with her through the cold Utah winters.
Don't worry, she didn't do much sitting. I rode everyday that first winter. I couldn't get enough. There were several days when the cold would kill my battery and I would have to push start it to get home, but I always wanted to ride.
I remember going to school one morning. It seemed much colder than usual. I was wearing three pairs of gloves, 2 jackets, 2 pairs of pants and still freezing. I hit black ice on the way out of the parking lot and thought I was going down. My guardian angels saved me and I was able to make it to class. I got a call part way through the day from a friend making fun of me for riding to school when it was -7*. I couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want to ride.
As life went on, we moved from Utah to Las Vegas. We were able to get everything we owned (including the Kat) inside a 17' Uhaul truck. I was so excited to be able to ride in "nice" weather all the time. I rode almost every day while we were in Vegas.
I think I became pretty good at running errands on the Kat too. I would load up my saddle bags and Imlay canyon pack and could get almost everything I needed. I even brought a 5lb tub of putty for a project at the house, balancing it on the tank. My friends and co-workers thought I was crazy. I would ride all summer long without Air conditioning. I would show up at work all sweaty and still be happy to ride.
One spring break I rode 430 miles each way to go to Utah for a day to help run a paintball tournament. It also took me down to LA for a friends wedding and back. It was sure nice to not get stuck in traffic in California, but the guy at the parking garage wouldn't let me in because I was on a motorcycle.
We acquired 2 dogs. One of whom is very active. We began competing in flyball and frisbee tournaments in CA, UT, NV, and AZ with him. This made it very difficult to get to practices and competitions when my wife needed the car for other things. We also saw the dogs quickly destroying the car. Our second dog is a little large for the car and we could not longer get their kennels into the car.
My wife and I decided that a small SUV would be much more practical for the dogs and for competing. She eventually fell in love with a 2001 Rodeo which we picked up pretty cheap. I slowly fixed that up with some parts from the pic-a-part.
Then it was time to make the ultimate sacrifice. As 2 students with very limited income, it did not make financial sense to have 3 vehicles for 2 drivers. The Kat was getting neglected and spending more time in the garage than being enjoyed.
I hope the new owner will treat her right and get the same thrill that I enjoyed over the 16,000 miles that she carried me.
However, I also feel like I lost a little piece of my heart. The Kat was my second motorcycle. I bought my first bike about 1.5 years earlier. Shortly after buying it, I lost my job and had to sell it to pay rent. I missed having a motorcycle but never really got attached to my first bike. I didn't have it for long enough.
Finally, I was able to save up enough money to buy another motorcycle. And surprisingly I was able to get my wife on board pretty easily. We needed a second vehicle at the time so she gave me free reign over that decision. I picked up my Kat in November from Salt Lake City and rode it home to Provo, Utah.
This first ride (minus the short test drive) was all it took to fall in love. It was freezing riding down the freeway that night, but the roads were clear. I didn't have covered parking at my apartment, let alone a garage, to protect her from the elements. She had to sit under the cover that came with her through the cold Utah winters.
Don't worry, she didn't do much sitting. I rode everyday that first winter. I couldn't get enough. There were several days when the cold would kill my battery and I would have to push start it to get home, but I always wanted to ride.
I remember going to school one morning. It seemed much colder than usual. I was wearing three pairs of gloves, 2 jackets, 2 pairs of pants and still freezing. I hit black ice on the way out of the parking lot and thought I was going down. My guardian angels saved me and I was able to make it to class. I got a call part way through the day from a friend making fun of me for riding to school when it was -7*. I couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want to ride.
As life went on, we moved from Utah to Las Vegas. We were able to get everything we owned (including the Kat) inside a 17' Uhaul truck. I was so excited to be able to ride in "nice" weather all the time. I rode almost every day while we were in Vegas.
I think I became pretty good at running errands on the Kat too. I would load up my saddle bags and Imlay canyon pack and could get almost everything I needed. I even brought a 5lb tub of putty for a project at the house, balancing it on the tank. My friends and co-workers thought I was crazy. I would ride all summer long without Air conditioning. I would show up at work all sweaty and still be happy to ride.
One spring break I rode 430 miles each way to go to Utah for a day to help run a paintball tournament. It also took me down to LA for a friends wedding and back. It was sure nice to not get stuck in traffic in California, but the guy at the parking garage wouldn't let me in because I was on a motorcycle.
We acquired 2 dogs. One of whom is very active. We began competing in flyball and frisbee tournaments in CA, UT, NV, and AZ with him. This made it very difficult to get to practices and competitions when my wife needed the car for other things. We also saw the dogs quickly destroying the car. Our second dog is a little large for the car and we could not longer get their kennels into the car.
My wife and I decided that a small SUV would be much more practical for the dogs and for competing. She eventually fell in love with a 2001 Rodeo which we picked up pretty cheap. I slowly fixed that up with some parts from the pic-a-part.
Then it was time to make the ultimate sacrifice. As 2 students with very limited income, it did not make financial sense to have 3 vehicles for 2 drivers. The Kat was getting neglected and spending more time in the garage than being enjoyed.
I hope the new owner will treat her right and get the same thrill that I enjoyed over the 16,000 miles that she carried me.
people here own Katanas still? Is that a thing? 
No reason to run off 
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