I bought a motorbike, amongst other things (14/3/14)

This morning Sandra and I went to the Driver and Vehicle Services department to check how much it would cost to licence a 900cc motorbike and came away from there with absolutely no useful information whatsoever. Thumbs up to that service. After that we went to a monumentally large outdoor activities and camping shop just down the road and I would have been lost forever had Sandra not come and found me. I'm sure this must be what heaven looks like. Once back home I put some washing on and waited till my Uncle came home so we could go and see the motorbike. I'd borrowed a helmet from one of Phil's mates just so I could go for a test spin on it. At the back of my mind I didn't really think I'd buy it because it was much bigger than I was used to but it would at the very least serve as a bench mark to compare some other bikes to. Plus it was the first one I'd be seeing and you shouldn't buy the first bike straight away anyway. My Uncle arrived home, rang the owner to check if it was still OK to come round and we left shortly after. We found the house with no problems, as it was only about 15 minutes away, and pulled up in the driveway. The house was very neat and tidy and there were a few cars and trucks parked under a very large car port to the side of the house. At the back of the car port next to another bike, which was under a cover, sat the Yamaha XJ900S. It was massive. Not just engine wise, this thing was a monster compared to my SV650 at home. I was a little daunted by it. The owner appeared and introduced himself. His name is Pete and he'd owned the bike for the last 8 years, I think that's what he said anyway. About the years, not his name, his name is definitely Pete. We found out that Pete and his wife, from Leicester, had used the bike for touring around some of WA and he had now upgraded to a $23,000 Triumph cruiser, which was hiding under the cover. He'd had absolutely no problems with the Yamaha, had serviced it regularly and was selling it just because he didn't need it anymore. It was showing a few signs of age but for a '94 motorbike with 80,000km on the clock it was in really good condition. We chatted for quite a while and he told us about some of his family and about the other vehicles he had there and overall he came across as a genuine nice guy who just loved bikes. The moment came to try and ride this shire horse. Pete wheeled it out the front for me and started it up. It roared into life. Considering I'd just spent the past month on a semi automatic 125cc with tiny wheels and a step through manner to get onto it I think I did alright getting onto this missile. Pete wished me luck and I put the bike into gear. Clonk. The engine cut out with a slight jolt. Pete stepped forward. "Erm, clutch" he said. What a penis I was. I'd spent the first week in Vietnam reaching for a clutch handle that wasn't there and had now got so used to changing gear without a clutch that I'd completely forgotten to use this one. Could I look any more like a novice? I apologised and he said it was fine he'd done it himself and the bikes were designed for eventualities like that. I started it up again and, with the aid of the clutch, managed to get moving. I did a big circular loop round the block to see how the bike handled. Straight up it was a dream to ride. Gear changes were smooth, turns on it were easy, and the whole thing felt solid and certainly capable of the journey I had planned for it. I got back to the house with a big grin on my face. It was ideal for me. But it was still the first bike I'd seen and I really shouldn't buy the first one. Just out of interest Geoff asked if $2500 was his best price and after a hard think Pete said he would sell for $2400 if necessary. I had a couple of bikes to see tomorrow and Pete understood and agreed that it was better to see them and compare. I at least knew Pete's bottom price now. After a little more discussion Pete wheeled the bike back in and Geoff and I went back to the car. We had a quick chat by the car and agreed that actually this was probably going to be the best bike we'd see for the money and it had clearly been looked after by Pete and shouldn't be walked away from, so I went back to the house and told Pete I'd take it. At $2400 it was a good deal. I payed him a deposit and agreed to pick it up tomorrow with the rest of the money. It was one of the easiest and most pleasant vehicle buying experiences I think I've had. Once back at home Geoff, Sandra and I got ready to go to Phil and Holly's as we were having dinner there tonight and set off shortly after. We had a platter of meat cooked on the BBQ to eat beers a plenty. After a nice evening relaxing there we left them with the washing up, it's OK they have a dishwasher, and headed home and I was soon in bed.