H-D Announces new model: 883 Iron

In the face of this re(de)pression and less than stellar (but better than might be expected) financial results for 2008 The Motor Company bucks the tide and releases a new model. In this case it is a new model in their Dark Custom line of bikes; the Iron 883.

Essentially, this is an 883 decked out in the custom bobbed look of the Nightster combined with the most generous dose of black and matte finishes of any model in the range. The result is one bad a$$ looking Sportster.

While the 883 engine lacks the oomph of the 1200 Nightster, the price tag of $7,899 leaves plenty of pocket change left over for go fast upgrades such as big bore kits, new pipes, Buell heads...

Not only is this one sweet machine this is a great bike for H-D during these tough times. Low price and Dark styling will attract newer and younger riders to the showroom and the development and tooling costs for this bike could not be very high. Definite win/win for the boys from Milwaukee.

Read the press release here and see more info on the bike here.

Photo courtesy of H-D

You can go back...

They, whoever they are, say you can’t go back. Well, I beg to differ.
You can go back. It may not be the same as you remembered it, it will have changed and may not even be as good as you remembered it but you can go back. I did.

When I was a kid we would take day long road trips out to Wallace and Fulshear, west of Houston, to buy meat. Three or four ties a year we would go to a butcher shop out there and stock up on enough beef to last until the next trip. The cavernous trunk and sometimes part of the green vinyl back seat would be filled with fresh steaks, sausage and hamburger. While waiting on all this to be cut and packaged I would wander through the little country store attached to the meat market. There I would discover candies and toys that you would not find in the big chain stores in town. Even the trips to the antique shops would usually serve up something to fire a small boy’s imagination, especially one with a love of history.

No trip out to the “country” was complete without lunch at a local BBQ place and in Fulshear that would be Doziers. That would also include another special treat; a soda. No, not a Coke or Pepsi those could be had anywhere. These were magical drinks that I couldn’t get at home and included Fanta Grape, Nehi Orange and Frosty Root Beer.

It is no wonder I developed a love for road trips and exploring back roads since these were some of the best memories of my childhood. Seeing new sights out the side window of the car, exploring new places and discovering new tastes and treats. They were my grand adventures and safari’s.

On a ride last weekend I met up with a friend who lives on the far west side of town. We were both a bit hungry so he took me to one of his favorite local BBQ spots. Well, needless to say Houston has grown quite a bit over the last thirty-five or so years and the west-side of town now pretty much runs right out to those little country towns of Wallace and Fulshear. His spot, in case you couldn’t see it coming a mile off, was none other than Doziers. He was a bit disappointed that I knew the place but not too put off when I told him the backstory.

The place has changed a bit since I was there last. For one thing it seemed to be a gathering place for bikers. Back when I was a kid a group of bikers rolling in would probably have brought out the Sheriff. The BBQ was not quite as good as I remembered it. It was a little bland but it was very tender and definitely better than the chain places but it still did not match up to my memory or my current favorite spots. The Fanta, Nehi and Frosty may have been there but they have something even better, Dublin Dr. Pepper. This is Dr. Pepper made with real sugar; no sickly sweet high fructose corn syrup added! Good stuff and not that easy to find.

So, yes, you can go back. It will likely have changed but sometimes that is not all bad. Pretty good BBQ, Dublin DP and bikes is not a bad combination to this old Buddha-man. If you are over on the far west side of Houston, swing off of IH-10 a little ways and stop in at Doziers.

Dozier's Grocery & Market
8222 FM 359 Rd

Fulshear, TX 77441

Phone: (281) 346-1411
Hours: Tue-Thu 9:30am- 6:30pm, Fri-Sat 9:30am- 7:00pm, Sun 10:00am- 7:00pm

New Ride!

After being without a bike for the worst part of two years now I finally have a new ride!

My wife gave me the best Christmas present ever, the OK to buy the bike and a $1000 as the down payment. Could there be a better Christmas present? Well it could have been a bit better, since I was still agonizing over which bike I wanted she was not able to pull off her original plan which was to buy the bike without me knowing and have it delivered on Christmas Day complete with a bow.

After a year of looking I was torn between the Harley-Davidson Nightster, the Triumph Bonneville and the Triumph Speedmaster. I was looking for a bike that would be more comfortable than the sport bikes I have always owned before, offer decent power, handling and brakes. I had fallen in love with the Bonneville the first time I saw it; the classic styling and standard riding position called to me immediately. The problem was that the 2009 models with the lower seat height and fuel injection were nowhere to be found yet and most dealers were telling me they would not be in until March. I did not want to wait until March for a new bike!

Like so many times in life this worked out to be a good thing. I already liked the Nightster and the more I sat on it and thought about it the more convinced I became that it would make a pretty darn good ride. I had the color picked out and was just about ready to pull the trigger but something was still nagging at me that this was not the right decision. Back in my closest Triumph dealer, for the 995th time, asking about the ‘09 Bonneville I stumbled across the Speedmaster.

It was love at first sight!

After about two weeks of negotiations, trials, tribulations and near heartbreak the stars aligned and I picked up my 2009 Triumph Speedmaster in Phantom Black:

The folks from British USA, especially Jim Vagas, were great and I recommend them highly.

So now a native Texan with the nickname Buddha is ready to get back to exploring the back roads of Texas; on a British cruiser. What is the world coming to?