Just in case you haven’t been riding lately, or stopped by your local bike
shop to dream, there is a strong retro style going on. Maybe more image, as
motorcyclists have always portrayed an image, but it seems retro styling is in,
combined with modern technology. Take my Bonneville T120 for instance, looks
old school, but it has heated grips, two engine maps, ABS, traction control,
ride by wire, and is reliable. No matter the love for your old Meriden Triumph,
in your wildest dreams you couldn’t imagine this, and it’s all reliable. Honda
tried with a CB1100, based a lot on 1980’s styling, still some new 2014’s and
2015’s in stock. Seems they were too price sensitive, read expensive, and had
the look but not the technology. Kawasaki has an z900rs, which looks like the
original Z-1 down to the paint colors, with performance to match, sold well
initially, but now has a café racer to keep us lusting. And have just released
an 800cc Brit looking twin...we’ll see where that one goes, looks good, but it
ain’t British. BMW has a few retro style models, along with current technology,
but way high prices. Yamaha has the pricing, but stalls out on styling, my
opinion. Indian has upset Harley, which will be reinventing itself in 2020, but
the loyal still pay 2018 prices for essentially 1930’s technology. Reliability
is better....anything would be a big improvement. And Suzuki soldiers on,
offering a 2005 GSXR model in a standard setting in 750 and 1000 cc flavors,
priced almost too cheap, and they sit, even discounted thousands. Maybe retro
is a style we only wish to remember how it was, not is. With only Triumph
cashing in big time with its Bonneville, it never quit being a Bonneville, not a
thinly disguised new bike. Their biggest seller.....suddenly 1970 doesn’t look
so bad, or was it 1980? Or....what day is it, does anyone know what time it
is?
Motorcycles are and always will be a personal thing. You don’t need a
motorcycle, cannot believe I said that, you want one. Which explains why some
ride Harleys and some tolerate Hondas. While Suzuki cannot give a great bike
away, yet BMW cashes in at 2-3 times the price. All have two wheels, a motor,
shocks, and brakes. But it is the heart of the one behind the bars that takes
all the hype and hoopla and makes it personal. I am blessed riding so many
different bikes, and know how each bike on the same road will bring out a
difference in the ride. Even put a different rider on the same bike, and get
different results. How you enter a curve will dictate how you exit it, and
throttle control will always make a difference. All dressed up and ready to
ride but not being able to may be the standard for the new retro rides, it will
always come down to choice. I have this disease called motorcycling, too bad
some would rather push a Harley than ride a Yamaha. But like a Harley riding
friend tells me, “Mike they couldn’t handle all the power.” Which bothers me a
little, does it you?
Many things in life cannot be explained, and when tried to only end in
frustration. Paul writes of a time of the Gentiles ending, and then a revival
of the Jews turning to Christ. It is hard to find a Jewish person who isn’t
intelligent, “my son the doctor,” or rich, check out who really runs Hollywood
and from where, and many love God too. Religious in the practice of worshipping
him, but cold to the message of Jesus Christ. I have a Messianic Jewish friend
who just happens to be a retired doctor. He tells of growing up Jewish and then
coming to Christ, alienating him from his family, and the temple. God calls
them stiff necked, it just seems stupid that a race so religious can be so far
from the God they worship. If any group can be called retro it is them, the
same old God, in the same old way for thousands of years, neglecting the one
promise that would reunite them with him, the savior, Jesus Christ. You would
think with all their intelligence and diligence of living by the laws of Moses
they would read Isaiah 53 and see Jesus personified. That he was Jewish as were
his disciples, yet in a Gentile world, they reject him. But the days of the
Gentiles are coming to an end, when they will have all the riches of God and the
Jews will be jealous, and want what we have. With hopefully better results this
time, remember how they denied Jesus at first, and got mad at God when he
started saving the Gentiles. They started to get saved out of jealousy. Funny
how they can worship a loving God, but not trust him, and become jealous when he
does love other people different from us? But throughout the Bible we see it,
Jonah rebelled and even got mad at God when he saved his enemies, sadly do we do
the same thing today? But God is patient with us that none should perish, and
the days of revival of the Jews is drawing near, where their hard hearts will be
melted, the lion will lay down with the lamb, and the Harley rider will
fellowship with a Triumph rider. We all want the same thing, why do we curse
the one made in God’s image while saying we love the same God? Jesus died for
all, not just the Gentiles, not just the Jew, but for all, and all have sinned
and fallen short of the glory of God. Consider that....an equality not often
bragged on, you are no better than me and I am no better than you. Only Jesus
makes the difference....
So God chose the Jews and in Christ we are chosen. Chosen to represent him
on earth, to be the example of a loving God showing love and forgiveness. Know
anyone who cannot use more of that? He loves both the Jew and the Gentile, and
all who have fallen away in cults or false religions. Yet many are called and
few are chosen....just like walking into the mega-store looking for a bike.
They all look alike, priced pretty close, and offer reliability and fun. They
all have two wheels and a motor. It comes down to a choice, just like it does
with Jesus. Many out there to get your dollar, or your soul. Retro may be
trendy now in motorcycling, but we all need a refreshing from the holy spirit.
Only in Christ will we find exactly what we need, don’t be like the guy who
bought the bike of his dreams and it wasn’t, “well there’s always next year...”
Today is the day of salvation, for like in riding it is the intangible, the
things not seen that make the difference in the ride, both in life and on the
road. The Gentiles were quick to pick up on that....when the champion promised
was a Jew all the time. God hasn’t given up on the Jews, don’t give up on
Jesus.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com