Getting Back in the Saddle
Last year my old KTM started wheezing like a sick donkey every time I hit dirt trails. So I dragged my dusty butt down to the motorcycle dealership, ready to chuck cash at something new. Sales dude shoved glossy brochures for BMW and Triumph in my face. Took a couple test rides – felt like straddling a cement mixer. Knee joints screamed bloody murder after 20 minutes.
First Spin on the Norden
Spotted this funky-looking Norden 901 tucked in the corner. Sales guy called it “the ugly duckling”. Threw a leg over it just for laughs. Holy hell – seat hugged my backside like grandma’s recliner. Took it through downtown potholes pretending they were boulders. Suspension soaked ’em up like a whiskey sponge. Surprise rattled my brain when the dashboard didn’t look like a spaceship control panel. Just big fat numbers telling me what I needed.
Three Things That Sold Me
Reason 1: That seat comfort ain’t no joke. Did a 6-hour highway haul to test it – butt cheeks didn’t turn into concrete. Could actually feel my toes when I got off.
Reason 2: Took it mud-diving last month. Switched to off-road mode faster than a greased weasel. Knobbies dug in proper when I hit sludge pits. Didn’t dump me on my face once.
Reason 3: Here’s the kicker – walked out paying less than my buddy’s secondhand Africa Twin. All that jazz for this price? Felt like robbing the damn store.
Living With It Daily
Been thrashing this thing daily since March. Commute through city chaos? Weaves between cars like a hyper squirrel. Weekend trail bashing? Handles like a damn mountain goat. Only gripe – that orange paint gets eyeballs at stoplights. Everyone asks “what IS that weird spaceship?” Worth every penny when it starts first click every frosty morning. Even dropped it twice. Picked it up grunting like lifting a stubborn toddler.
