the club

the clutch cable on my bike broke again recently which gave me opportunity to go down to the local dealership. going to a dealer can be an interesting experience. they can either make you feel really welcome or give you that unexplainable urge to go running and screaming. ours i think falls in the former.

in fact whenever i go in there it feels a little like an old and established gentleman's club. you know, the kind you see in old movies where men sit in soft leather highback chairs puffing on cigars and reading a newspaper while a balding man in coat and tails walks around holding a silver serving tray with brandy snifters?
well, no brandy snifters at the dealership, but they do have a pool table. and not too far from it sits an old "hang on" ride on arcade game from the 80's. on the opposite side of the room there's a great old evel kneivel pinball machine and they've got the speed channel on in a lounge area just in case you're going to be there a while.
in addition they have a fantastic showcase of older bikes throughout the showroom. i guess mine would probably fit into that category. in fact when i pull up there and walk past all of the new machinery, drinking my complimentary coffee while eating my complimentary cheez-its and pretzels i begin to feel like one of the older members of the club.
like the aged white haired member who snoozes quietly in a corner and has to be occasionally roused, whereby he will begin to regale anyone within earshot of his exploits. "i've been a member of this club for over 40 years!" he says as he shakes his bony finger.
anyway, i did get my clutch cable and put the bike to rights again. and it's nice to know that a man still has a place where he can go to get away from the daily pressures of life. (except now my kids are always asking to tag along so they can play "hang on")
yeah, it's a pretty good club. and should you find yourself in the neighborhood, come check 'em out. they're always a part of some of the local mc events around here. and a great chance to meet some of the other (less stodgy) members.