New America Rider

Hi all, new to truimph.

I'm a late 40's rider, just getting back into riding after a long spell away. Youngest daughter is a senior in high school that wants to ride, so I've got her a rebel 250 to learn on, and I'm the proud new owner of a 2007 america.

She's been getting the hang of it, and I needed the 250 to knock the rust off. Just brought home the america last weekend.

 

I think I have this picture right.

 

Thanks for all the welcomes. Here's two more pictures of the bikes. My daughters rebel is a 1997, america is a 2007.

Sorry, I didn't get the for sale price on the windscreen washed off yet.

 

Well- here goes for story time.

I rode from when I was high school age, and sold my bike shortly after we had kids. My lovely bride, was indoctrinated from a young age that bikes were dangerous and death was around every corner. Riding was a exercise in terror for her.

We got busy having kids, work, a business, and life gets away from you. My youngest daughter was the one proclaiming from a car seat "I'm going to have a motorcycle someday". At three years old.

Well, this summer she's a senior in high school, and off to college next year. Our older two children are in college, and the mrs. and I are quietly humming and getting close to staring at empty walls.

I told the youngest daughter if she still wanted to ride, she's old enough now to make her own choices. I would teach her if she wanted to learn. Wife is quietly resigned to the dangers.

We're going to go take a safety course in the middle of october. I purchased the rebel late summer, and threw a leg over a bike for the first time in 20 or so years. It felt like home. Really, like home. I was a tad nervous before I left the guys yard, but as soon as I hit the highway, I wondered why I'd waited so long to be back on a bike again.

 

So now that the daughter has a bike, she needs someone to ride with. Dad needs a bike, and I don't care for riding what everyone else does. I'm middle america, fleets of harleys burn through town. I'm not a group activity kind of person. And the harley thing is okay, but they're everywhere.

Looked at older gilroy indians, excelsior henderson, couldn't get my head around the looks of the victory bikes.

Local dealer is indian, and also triumph. Only two bikes on his lot that really fit me were a customized street glide with forward controls, and a new speedmaster with the forward controls. But I'm not dropping $10,000 on a bike. I could afford to, I'm just not going to.

Did a little searching and came up with the mid 2000 speedmasters and americas. Liked the looks, found a america local for sale, and here I am. Of course the bike needs a little work, I didn't buy new with warranty.

I don't mind some tinkering, and the 2007 is the last of carbs, and I'm kinda simple like that, so I guess we'll see how it goes.

I started the daughter on the back street. Clutch in, clutch out, start stop, start stop, until she was sick of it. More nights of short runs, start and stop.

We've graduated to a large church parking lot, and she's almost ready for the road. I wanted her to be ready for the training course, and she's good to go now.

Here's her on the day we picked up the rebel, and our "training grounds".