Hello all. I'm not sure how warm of a welcome I may receive here due to the fact I guess I am the cause of this heavy heart of Al's. My name is Paul and I purchased this fine America from Al this past weekend.
After recently selling my quad that I didn't get much use out of to add a "3rd" vehicle so my 17 year old son would be able to share our cars, I began a search for a street bike in the <4K range.
I was pretty sure I was going to go in the sport-touring direction. Don't get me wrong I love the cruiser-style bike much better, but had the mindset that if it isn't going to be a Harley then it's not a true cruiser. I didn't want an asian cruiser since they're everywhere!! I wanted to really like my new bike. So after perusing Craigslist, Ebay and CycleTrader I came across a Triumph Thunderbird locally. Now this bike didn't have the rake that I prefer on a cruiser, but it was a very intriguing bike and even Harley guys find appeal in Triumphs. So I began some research and found the model I set my mind on...the Bonneville America. It had everything I was looking for in a bike. So the search began locally, only to find that these bikes are rarer than I thought. None locally. So I broadened my search to the surrounding states. Found one in Ohio but it needed alot of restoring due to a neglectful owner. Found another in Virginia but it was 8 hrs away!! Then I saw Al's ad for his Cardinal Red '02. The ad was very descriptive of the amount of time and money that was dedicated to this bike but the mileage was the highest of the bikes I was looking at. But I figured a 3 hr trip wouldn't be too bad if it was spent looking at a bike that I walked away from. Luckily enough that wouldn't be the case.
I walked into Al's garage, even after he told me he had hoped I wouldn't show, and layed my eyes on a truly beatiful machine. Al began to go over everything he had done to the bike and stories along the way. Little to his knowledge I was sold before even riding the America. Not just on appearance of the bike, but on how well and detail oriented this owner of this bike had cared for it. After a brief ride, and with a heavy heart, Al and I agreed on the sale.
Most guys that have a passion for anything with a motor know how hard it can be to part with a loved and cherished possession that has a motor. But most guys can also appreciate the happiness and pleasure that can be had knowing these once cherished and loved possessions will be cared for with the same passion by a buyer that will carry on that torch. I will definately carry on that torch!! I cannot promise that Al's America will look the same over time since every guy has to make his bike his own, but I can promise that with the knowledge of Al and those of you on this forum, Al's America will live on in it's new home with the same care and passion that was given to this bike.
Thank you Al for being a seller that most buyers can only wish for. A fine gentleman.
Last edited by Bell22; 06/14/2011 1:58 AM.
