A little about me and my motorcycling history...

My name is Wayne Wilson and at the age of 16 I became interested in street motorcycles. I always favored the "cafe" racer style over the cruiser style. Once I learned how to ride (on a Honda CL350 ) I bought a brand new Suzuki GS450S. It was a great bike and quite affordable for a High School kid. I hated to leave it behind when I joined the Marines, but I knew it was not up to long distance traveling and I needed something with four wheels. After boot camp I sold it and used the money towards a cage.

A few years later when I re-enlisted, I decided it was time for a bike again. In Southern California the weather was perfect for year round riding. I bought a brand new 1984 Honda 700 Nighthawk 'S' in May of 1985. I wanted a GPz700, but the price difference was more than I could cover. I liked the sport styling, combined with a little more comfort provided by a more upright position and shaft drive. Minimal maintainence was also a factor. When Big-K introduced the Concours just a few months later I was in LOVE! Oh how I coveted Connie. She was the subject of many a dream while sleeping and fantasies while awake. After "The Crash" I was able to rebuild the S and make it better, stronger faster. I called it my Honda GPz700. The crash left me scared to ride though and a friend recommended Keith Code's "Twist of The Wrist" it was a great book and I put the information in it to use. I was soon riding better and more confidently than ever. The book does a fantastic job of explaining the mechanics of how to ride a motorcycle. A few years later I got married and then added a branch to the family tree (1988), it was time to sell the toys and put the money towards more useful things. Bikes became a memory, but I still loved to look at the new Concours' as they came out and knew one day I would have one.

In 1998, after ten years on four wheels, I decided to get a motorcycle for commuting purposes (get to use the HOV lanes). I bought a 1992 Honda 750 Nighthawk. It is probably one of the best bikes made when it comes to popularity and dependability and Honda sells a lot of them. Like the Concours, it has had a long lineage with little changes. I really enjoyed riding it and it is a very capable bike.

In June 2002 I was preparing to go on a long distance ride (Lawman1000) on my Nighthawk and went to my local dealer the night before the ride to pick up a can of Fix-a-Flat. I walked past a leftover 2001 Concours they had just reduced to $6800. With only 62 miles on her from test rides, full factory warranty, 0 down, 0% interest and no payments for 6 months I saw this as an omen. They also had a silver/grey one, but I like the blue best of all the colors the Concours has been given. A quick phone call to the wife, some spirited conversation explaining why it was such a good deal (read GROVELING) and I rode it home. It has been a long time coming, but my love for the Concours' timeless good looks, respectable performance, and unbeatable value never dwindled. She is the bike I have wanted for 16 years, and now I made the dream come true.

On to "Gizmo - Diary of a 2001 Kawasaki Concours"....