Remembering one of the bikes I am most thankful for having owned and ridden

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With colder weather finally here, and Thanksgiving upon us, besides being sure our RVs are winterized and our gas fireplaces are functioning, it could be time to think about what bikes we’ve owned over the years that we are most thankful for. One of those for me was my 2001 Suzuki TL1000S.

Suzuki’s official spec photo of the 2001 model year. Mine had a few mods…

It had so many great qualities. For one, even though some claim these bikes have a “Widowmaker” reputation (just like my three cylinder Kawasakis I have mentioned in these pages!), my TL1000s never hurt me, in spite of some pretty aggressive riding that I did on it. I loved that bike.

A fave among the two-wheeled options.

Secondly, it was beautiful!  I have always been a sucker for anything candy blue with a silver frame. The half fairing didn’t completely hide that beautiful V-twin. And the Yoshimura carbon fiber cans really set it off. I consider it one of the best-looking modern-era Japanese motorcycles ever made, even today.

Some personalization.

Third, I loved the power. It was the first sportbike I had owned in years when I first bought it in 2007. The thing would wheelie like mad and just ate up the two lane roads in our state with ease. I could pass anyone in a flash. I forgot how fun they are. It’s honestly the bike that made me fall in love with riding all over again. I’m very thankful for the miles and memories with that motorbike.

What bike are you most thankful for owning and riding? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mark Zweig

*top photo- my much loved 2001 TL1000S, briefly at rest in the driveway.