The eagle has landed

Well maybe not an eagle exactly, more like an ugly duckling. And landed? Let’s just say arrived. But “The ugly duckling has arrived” doesn’t have quite the same cachet. So sue me.



It was definitely easier to get it out of the truck than in. For a small’ish motorcycle (it only weighs a little over 400 pounds) it was surprisingly difficult to get up the ramp and into the back of the truck. The narrow ape hanger bars didn’t help of course, nor did 2 flat tires. So I opted for the strain-free alternative for removal. Worked like a charm.




It’s a 1981 Kawasaki 440 LTD with 28,000 kilometers on the clock. It’s complete and original, which is a new experience for me when it comes to acquiring old motorcycles. It supposedly even runs, although poorly, and not for long. We’ll see.

So now I have (another) winter project but it’s so tempting, seeing it sitting there, to just dive right in. Then I look at the half re-assembled S65 engine, the TL125 needing some TLC, and the C65 frame that needs major work – and that’s only the bike projects – and I tell myself to try and finish something else first. But it’s a hard sell.