This Valentine’s Day, we were able to help kindle a new romance for a fellow rider.

For the last three years, each fall we have listed our 1988 Honda NT650 Hawk GT for sale. Of course that is a terrible time to list a bike for sale, so it wouldn’t sell, and then spring would roll around and we would change our minds. Then we would only ride it a handful of times in the summer, remember that’s why we had listed it for sale the previous fall, and we would list it again.

So, once again, I listed it for sale in October, it got a little interest, but not much, so I refreshed the listings in January, and it got some more serious inquiries. A gentleman in Florida was pretty interested, but we weren’t able to work out the logistics of the deal with us being in Indiana, so that fell through. Then a “friend” from Chicago (we’ve never actually met) shared my listing with a friend of his, and she contacted me about it. She mulled it over for a few days, but ultimately decided it wasn’t the right time for her.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, when she contacts me again and decided she really did want the bike. We worked out a deal, and she was supposed to meet us that Saturday to get the bike. The day before, Dwayne decided he should take it for one last spin (in 29 degree weather, no less) just to make sure everything was still as it should be. Of course, nothing ever goes as planned, so we found that one of the float bowl gaskets on the carbs was leaking.

I would never sell a bike knowing it had an issue, no matter how small, so we ordered new gaskets, and pushed back our meeting for her to get the bike. The following week (last week) the gasket arrived and we replaced it, and everything was good to go. Unfortunately the weather was forecasting a wintry mix for the weekend, so she wasn’t able to come get the bike then. She decided to take off work today so we could meet her halfway since she lives 6 hours away in Missouri and we didn’t have to work today.

The weather forecast was for spotty showers throughout the day, lessening as the day goes, so we figured we might hit a little rain, but it turned out it absolutely poured rain almost the entire 3 hour drive to meet her. I felt horrible. That bike had never seen rain in the 4 years that we had owned it. I felt awful for sending it off that way, but Dawn didn’t seem to mind, she was just excited to have a Hawk again (this is her 3rd).

We loaded it onto the bike hauler on the back of her Tacoma since she has a camper in the bed of the truck, and I gave her co-drivers (adorable pooches) some love before we parted ways. It was clear that she was excited about her new relationship, and we were happy to see the Hawk go to a good home where it will be ridden much more often and loved.

It was a little bittersweet, even though we didn’t ride it much, it really was such a fun little bike, and honestly anytime you sell a bike with no intention of replacing it, it is a sad day. In fact, I’ve decided I don’t think I much liked it, so I probably shouldn’t do that again, I’ll just have to keep them all 😂😂

Now, if only winter would go away so I can ride and enjoy the bikes we have left 😒