DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Dave At Mt. Clemens City Hall

Q: Hi Dave. Cool ride daddy-o. What can you tell us about it?

A: This is a 1993 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500. I've always wanted a motorcycle and this year, I guess, I finally hit the urge enough to buy one. I was looking on Craigslist for about a month and finally found a deal too good to pass up.

Q: What is your bike's main use?

A: Mostly recreational. I use it in the summer a lot. It's great if I just feel like taking a cruise, or if I'm feeling stressed out and need to blow off some steam. I just hop on and go.

Q: So in the summer, do you use this for your day-to-day commute?

A: No, not really, my work is too far away. It's a little too dangerous with all the construction going on.

Q: What's the farthest you've driven with this car?

A: Up to Port Huron. It's about 20 to 30 miles each way and takes about 45 minutes to get up there. I have a friend with a bike who lives up there, so sometimes we'll go riding.

Q: What's the story with this paint job? Did you add that on or is it factory?

A: It came with the bike. The guy that owned it originally bought it when it was a year old. It had the paint job on then. He liked it and didn't change it. I like it too and even though it looks like it could be aftermarket, it may very well be factory. I don't see any reason to change it. People are always looking, especially kids.

Q: How far do you think you would be comfortable riding it?

A: I think about a five hour trip would be my max. You have to stop at least once to just fill up. Riding one of these for an extended period of time gets to be not fun when you're just along on the freeway. I prefer to take back roads and check out the scenery when I go places. That's really what it's about to me.

Q: What do you use for a daily driver?

A: I work for Chrysler, so I have a 2010 Dodge Avenger that I use for my regular commute, quite the opposite of this. I didn't want to mix work and play too much. This is just for fun.

Photos and interview by John Cruz

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