Bruce Kaplan

As a college kid, I was in Cincinnati with some class-mates who were picking up an old Porsche from the shop. In the back was a box of motorcycle parts, which the owner assured us was a Honda Superhawk. We threw “em in the back of the Porsche, and after a few weeks in the basement, my “new” bike emerged. “Hop on, they said, give it a spin!” So after a quick orientation to where the controls were, I was off and riding… and I lived (no, that’s not how we recommend kids start out today).

Fast forward many years, and now you find a semi-retired guy thinking about how to save a few bucks as gas prices cross $4.00/gallon. A Prius? A Smart Car? A scooter? Too much reading, not enough riding. I took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class, and a week later, I was the owner of a 2007 F650gs, which I picked up in Pocatello Idaho and rode all the way to Lava Hot Springs the first evening – a perfect little ride through Marsh Valley. How does this relate to saving gas – don’t ask (though an f650gs can get over 70mpg).

Fast forward again to the next summer. Having followed Colonel Bob, Thane, and David G to Death Valley and Snow Canyon, Roy and Kathy to Toraweap, Ron and Holly to Durango, Al and Bob and Quinn over the Pony Express Trail, and a bunch of the Beehive Beemers to the Victor Campout, and on the 650, I was ready for my R1200gs. Now it’s getting nicely broken in too.

Now back to basics. This fall I attended the MSF “advanced” riders course and got to start all over again learning how to ride. I highly recommend it. If you visit my neighborhood in North Salt Lake, you might still find me practicing my figure 8’s and U-turns.