Hello Everyone!

[Jonah]

Hello everyone,

I feel grateful to have found this awesome community! Here's a little bit of my riding background. I love writing!

I always enjoyed riding on two wheels, and as for many of you - it's always been more than just a mode of transportation. 

I got my motorcycle license when I was 21 years old, and my first purchase was a Piaggio XEvo 250 that I bought brand new, which served me extremely well in the few years I had it. I even drove who was then my girlfriend (and now my wife) to the airport with her carryon suitcase in between my legs. That thing was awesome, had lots of storage space under the seat, and it was a great all around. That girlfriend lived in the USA, and I decided to move there to continue our relationship, so I sold my trusty XEvo.

When I moved to the USA, I coordinated with a guy I found on craigslist to buy his motorcycle; he was just moving to France literally the day after I landed, but I promised him that if everything is good with the bike, I'll buy it. And so my (back then) girlfriend came to pick me from the airport, and she brought with her my helmet and riding gear that I shipped to her beforehand. She took me straight from the airport to meet the guy, and I bought his 2006 Suzuki SV650S. I ended up following her on my new bike, while not having a phone and have never been to this country before.  I was absolutely in love with that bike, and it became a part of me very quickly. It was my daily commuter, I rode with the lady many a place, including taking her to school everyday where she did her master's program,  and it was also a mean for lots of fun at the local canyon and racetrack.

As the years went by, I started fantasizing on upgrading the trusty SV650. I wanted something more comfortable both for me and for the lady (she kept saying that my 250cc scooter was so much more comfortable every time we went on a ride, the audacity!), and also a bit more powerful. So in 2019, after extensive research, I decided that my next bike will be a Tracer 900. I definitely couldn't afford one at that time, and for a long time it remained a fantasy. Then, in 2021, a week before my birthday, my trusty SV650 was stolen from me, in my own apartment building no less. I was absolutely crushed, as few other than motorcycle riders understand the connection between a rider and his bike. I was quite depressed, as that bike was means for me to clear my head and destress from everything in life, including my pretty stressful job on the ambulance. Even though the insurance paid me more than what I paid for when I bought the bike, I still couldn't really afford spending the money on a new (used) bike, as my wife and I were trying desperately to buy a house. I was also working 70-80 or more hours per week, so there was little room for riding anyway.

But a couple of years later, my wife came and said that I should buy a new motorcycle as a gift to myself, budget: $10,000. I had many indications along the years that I made the right choice with her, but that was definitely one of the biggest signs! Very quickly I found a Tracer 900GT with only 13,000 miles on it at $1,000 below my budget, and two days later I was at the dealer, getting my keys to it. I never rode a Tracer before, but I knew from all the research I did that it would be a perfect fit. And indeed, right out of the parking lot, I knew I made the right choice. What a dream of a machine! Just what I wanted, it was a perfect fit. After the 200 mile journey back home, I felt incredible. I loved the SV650 to death, but I definitely would be sore after that long of a ride, but the Tracer made me feel like I could go on forever and ever. In the few months I had it, I put 7,000 miles on it, and I have enjoyed every single ride. I have yet to take it to the track, but I plan on doing that soon enough and see what that bike has to offer there. My ride to work is through the canyons, and at a time of day where no one is on the road, and that ride is one of the reasons I look forward to go to work every time I do (other than enjoying my work, of course). 

That's it, I commend and thank you if you made it this far and didn't get too bored with my writing. Here are some pics of my old bikes, and of course - my Tracer. I have yet to name it, suggestions are welcomed!