Lady in Black

‘03 Honda Shadow
Originally uploaded by MikeOliveri.

Here she is, the lady who’s already drawn a few envious stares from folks around the neighborhood.

I’m still surprised she’s as clean as she is for being six years old, especially since the folks at the bike shop referred to the previous owner as a kid. There’s a tiny chip in the paint on the tank and a scuff on the top exhaust pipe, but other than that, she’s spotless. I’ll be trying to get those touched up before long.

I already have a few ride invitations, too. A co-worker has an ‘03 Shadow 750 ACE, and we plan to ride down to Peoria’s Burger Barge in the coming weeks. Another friend has an ‘07 Shadow, and he told me about a couple of groups he rides with. I’m sure this bike will be much more comfortable on longer runs and able to keep up with a group, so it may be time to give that a shot.

Eve, meanwhile, has been doing her own flirting from the front yard. A few have stopped to check her out, and there’s been an offer of a trade, but nobody’s decided to snap her up yet. The surprising thing is my insurance rates actually go down with a second bike instead of up, so I won’t be heartbroken if I have to hang on to her a bit longer.