After searching endlessly for a nice condition and reasonably priced Valkyrie, GL1200 Interstate, or GL1500, I decided to embrace my impending old manishness, go full boomer and buy a GL1800. The ABS, cruise control and fuel injection intrigued me, and the test ride sold me. My initial budget was $3,000, and yes, I overshot that by quite a bit. But, for 300 pounds of aluminum and steel, and 500 pounds of plastic, $5,000 is a steal with only 55,000 miles.
It’s been 5 years since my last bikes let the garage (a ‘77 GL1000 and an ‘85 GL1200A), and I was a bit rusty for a few miles. But, once I got back into the groove, I was shocked at how nimble this behemoth is! I’ve got some de-chroming to do (I HATEHATEHATEHATE that stupid front rotor cover, especially since it’s festooned with Seahawks-inspired green and blue lighting), but beyond that, I’m just going to treat it like a (well-maintained) commuter car.