Moving on from the Blackbird

After a one year relationship with the Blackbird, I decided that I'm ready for a machine with a little less performance, and a little more versatility. I was thinking about a Suzuki DL1000 VStrom or Triumph Tiger.

I posted a nice detailed ad for the Blackbird on a couple of forums and on Craigslist Chicago. I received a lot of nice comments on the bike, a few trade offers that I wasn't interested in, and Craigslist generated the usual insulting low-ball offers.

Eventually I was contacted by a man in New Jersey that understood the bike, appreciated the work that had gone into it, and really wanted to own it. We made a deal, and the bike will enjoy a new home in New Jersey.

During my search for a VStrom, I happened across a Craigslist ad for a 2002 Aprilia EVT1000 Caponord with only 2,700 miles and included factory Aprilia hard luggage. I had never heard of a Caponord so I started reading. In many ways they are very similar to the VStrom, but I found that there is something more exotic about them. As with other European bikes, parts are a bit harder to get your hands on, and they tend to be more expensive. The price on the bike was great so I contacted the seller about seeing it.

The Caponord looked great in person. Truly in showroom condition. I asked the seller if he would start it up for me, which he did. He then offered to let me ride it up and down his street. It was incredibly comfortable, the 60 degree Rotax V Twin engine was smooth, powerful, and had lots of character. And the handling seemed very light and accurate.

I was sold. It needed to be mine. The seller agreed to hold it with a non-refundable deposit, and I would be back in a couple of weeks to buy it.

A couple of weeks came and went, and at 10am on Sunday April 17th, I handed the seller a stack of hundreds, he signed over the title, and I was on my way home! It was a 19 mile ride home, and I really had fun on my new bike.

Once home, the bike got a thorough wash to rid it of dust collected while sitting in a garage. It's looking great, and I have big plans for its future!

I really like the tubeless spoked wheels. Note the spokes poking through the edges of the rims.

Some folks criticize the dash for looking dated or strange. I found that I like it...

The saddlebags have loads of space.