Keene Swap Meet

We went to the Keene Swap Meet today. Held at the Cheshire Fairgrounds, it is a swap meet for motorcycles, parts, leathers and all of the other "stuff" that goes along with motorcycles. Something like 250 vendors. It is held twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. The event has been going on for 33 years, and is one of the big kickoffs for the motorcycling season here in the Northeast.

Yeah, I am looking for another bike. One that doesn't need any restoration, one I can just put the key in and start up. Maybe I'll even get an inspection sticker for it.

This business keeps us going for long days, nearly every day, and the time just isn't there to fix up a project bike. I've had to make my peace with that.

My first bike was a 1971 Honda 350. Red, faded to pink on top. Later came Sue Zuki, my black 1981 Suzuki GS850. It was a fast bike, but she was old and getting tired. There was also a 1979 Honda CB750 in the mix, and Wendy had a 1982 Honda Nitehawk 650.

Now I want a big bike, one that can handle two adults and our "stuff" without working too hard at it. At least a 1000. There are a couple on ebay that I've got my eye on.

Riding is like sailing. It's something you have to experience to understand why people do it. It's just your machine and you against the elements. Driving in a modern car is like being sealed in a container, you really have no contact with the world you are flying through at highway speeds. On a bike, there are sounds, vibrations, smells, and all sorts of other sensations you are out of touch with in your air-conditioned, stereo equipped car.

As we got closer to Keene in the Buick, we started to see bikes in small groups of three or four, then bigger groups of six or ten, then dozens at a time. Just hearing the engines and smelling the exhaust made me feel better and brought back memories.

Yeah, it's time to get another bike.