For a couple years, the garage has included three motorcycles/scooters, all Yamahas; a 2008 Morphous, a 2009 TMax, and a 2014 FZ-09.
In June, my interest in dual-sport motorcycles resulted in a very fast decision to purchase, sight unseen (except for photos), a 2009 Honda CRF230L. A dealership I visited several times while living in North Carolina offered the Honda with 601 miles on the odometer.
The only change I have made to the 2009 CRF230L was removing some vinyl electrical tape on the handlebar, perhaps a remnant from a windscreen installation. The CRF230L turned out nearly ideal for riding the quarter-mile gravel/dirt road to and from our cabin in Georgia away from the paved road. With less than 270 pounds, six gears getting the most from the 223cc engine, and delightful handling characteristics, the CRF became my most frequently used two-wheeler.
Roughly a month ago, the process nearly repeated itself. Another CRF230L seller had at least two deals fall through with potential buyers as I followed his ad for over a month. Another one... what was I thinking? Not the time or place for that question. My second purchase was a 2008 model with 183 miles on the odometer. Not surprisingly, after 13 years and so few miles, the 2008 needed a carburetor cleaning. Roughly $200 of OEM parts to replace those cut, removed, or modified returned the 2008 to completely stock condition. The engine now responds almost instantly to the start button and operates smoothly.
With five street motorcycles/scooters, I haven't made a final decision about selling any of the Yamahas and probably won't until late winter or early spring. Without a doubt, my preference is trending towards lighter motorcycles, but the heavier ones are better for extended highway riding. With two dual-sports available, I may sell a couple off-road only dirt bikes.
