If you had asked me a month ago if I’d be buying a road motorcycle, I probably would have laughed.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want one. Quite the opposite.
I’ve loved sport bikes since the late 80s and early 90s. Back then it was the Kawasaki Ninjas, Honda Hurricanes, and all the bikes that decorated the pages of motorcycle magazines and posters. I learned on a Honda Trail 90 at our family cabin in the High Uinta mountains. I’ve ridden bikes from 50cc to 250cc Nighthawks and Harleys. I even owned a 1982 Suzuki GS1100EZ years ago. Eventually life happened, priorities changed, and the dream of owning another street bike got pushed further and further into the “someday” category.
Then Jeep stepped in.
my 2024 Jeep Gladiator is currently under a manufacturer recall. While the recall doesn’t prohibit driving the vehicle, it does include an unusual recommendation: don’t park it in a garage or near structures or other vehicles due to a potential fire risk until the recall is completed. The thought of parking a vehicle with a potential fire risk next to my house—or anywhere near other vehicles—made me decide I’d rather not drive it until Jeep has a fix.
That left me with an interesting dilemma.
My Gladiator normally occupies the garage, but now it was relegated to the street. The nature of the recall left me thinking I don’t really want to drive it until the recall can be fixed, and Jeep does not have the fix just yet (they estimate Q3 2026)
Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to finally buy something that had been on my “someday” list for years.
Maybe “someday” had arrived a little earlier than expected.
The Search Begins
Like most big purchases, this one started with “just looking.”
That quickly turned into comparing models, reading reviews, watching videos, and driving my wife crazy by sending motorcycle pictures every few hours.
I looked at everything from cruisers to naked bikes before narrowing the field to the Kawasaki Ninja 500. It checked all the boxes:
- Modern ABS brakes
- Comfortable ergonomics
- Plenty of performance without being excessive
- Affordable to own and insure
- And, perhaps most importantly… it was still a Ninja.
The only real question became…
Which Ninja?
The Motorcycle Soap Opera
The search had more plot twists than I expected.
One dealer advertised the exact black and red model I wanted… except it turned out the picture on the website was wrong and the bike was actually white.
Another dealer had the black and red model in stock… right up until someone else put a deposit on it.
Then, just as I was preparing to settle for another option, the first dealer called back.
“We found a black and red one.”
Now we’re talking.
To make things even more interesting, the bike was an SE model with a professionally installed tail tidy. After a little negotiating, we settled on a deal that I felt good about, and they even knocked some money off the HJC helmet I picked out.
Sometimes persistence pays off.
Why a 500?
I’ve reached the point where I don’t need the fastest bike on the road. I’m not trying to set speed records or impress anyone.
I wanted something comfortable, fun, economical, and capable of making me smile every time I opened the garage door.
Mission accomplished.
Wait! Didn’t you just get a Kawasaki KLX140R and a Yamaha Raptor?
Guilty as charged.
While those are strictly recreational rides, the Ninja serves a legitimate transportation role while the Gladiator is waiting for the recall.
Driving a vehicle that may or may not spontaneously combust is not ideal…
Do I still love my Jeep?
Absolutely.
I just love it from about 30 feet away…
Just in case…
What’s Next?
The first official destination is already planned.
I owe a buddy dinner, so the first official ride is already planned—a trip through Monte Cristo to one of those little small-town burger joints that always seem to have the best food – especially the fries!
The Jeep will eventually retake it’s spot in the garage after the recall is completed, and then I’ll have to solve a new problem…
Where to park the Ninja?
For now, though…
I’m just looking forward to putting some miles on a motorcycle I’ve wanted to own for decades.
For now, though, I’m just looking forward to putting some miles on a motorcycle I’ve wanted to own for decades.
Sometimes “someday” arrives when you least expect it.
