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The Goon Bike by: Lost MC Goon
It was June 2002, and I remember it like yesterday. I had said for years that I would buy a motorcycle as soon as my car was paid off and that had occurred the previous month. I grew up with a mother that absolutely was terrified of motorcycles, so aside from quick rides on borrowed bikes I had never really ridden before. I still remember that day that I woke up and decided to finally go and look at bikes, I looked at quite a few that day. New, used, sportbike, cruiser, I tried them all. But for some reason this black Suzuki Volusia kept calling to me.
I sat on her and the next thing I knew I was signing papers. Over the course of the last five years this bike has changed my life. And as we progressed her look progressed also. When I had first gotten her, I added the typical cruiser accessories, Light bar, crash bars, and a lot of shiny stuff. As time went on I realized that all the extra crap was just another thing I had to wash, and that meant less riding time. About a year and a half ago I started to transform this mild mannered machine into something that was more functional, more primal, more me. First came the 2 inch lowering kit. Then the ape hangers and lower seat. Something was still missing. Then one day I went to walmart on a normal shopping excursion and ended up leaving with 4 cans of flat black spray paint. I went home tore the bike down and within two days my nice basic flat black paint job was done. I cut the fenders and changed the taillight set up.
I rode it like that for a while, and then decided to take a trip or two on it. I needed somewhere to tie down my bags, so the sissy bar was built out of some aluminum flat stock from Home Depot; I hand bent it over a section of pipe and bolted it on. And that was how the sissy bar came to be. Somewhere along the way I decided I no longer liked the cut down front fender so I yanked it off. And now it has been so long since I rode with one I don't miss it one bit. I remember one rainy day riding in New Orleans I had 15 foot rooster tails coming of the front and back, my bro riding with me said my bike looked like a water fountain. This bike has taught me a lot, and because of it I am current working on a chopper project based on the same type of bike. And after that I have two more projects lined up. Before I got this bike vehicle maintenance meant bringing it to a shop. But because of this bike I have learned a lot about mechanics, and myself. I have a welding machine on order, and next up will be a tube bender. I don't work on my projects to be cool, or to show off, but I have finally found what was missing out of my life. No frills, no extra shiny stuff, just the necessities to make it go and stop. That is my style, and how I am trying to live my life.
We went out the other day and took a few photos of my bike, I hope you like them, and special thanks to Amanda for making my bike look a little better.
