[FatBastid]

Hi all,

First I'd like to compliment all involved with this site, from the moderators to the users. I'm soakin' up knowledge and learning alot. Great community!

Secondly, a little background on me. I live north of Toronto Canada, and have two young lads (10 and 12). I raced "back in the day", weird open-class rides like an 85 Husky 500CR, then a Cagiva WMX500. The end of my fun came in '86, landing a double on my outstretched leg. POP goes my knee, and next thing you know I'm sporting a left knee that's more stainless than bone. End of my racing, not that I was fast or anything..I just raced for the sheer fun of it.

Fast forward to today, and I'm watching my boys rip around the property on their 99 CR80 and 05 CRF80. They want to race bad, and are after me to get a bike so we can all go racing together. I'd been to Honda.com so often, checking out the new rides and hearing nothing but raves about the CRF's.

Fatefully, on my 40th birthday(go figure) a young client of mine who is an avid mx'er shows up and offers me his tricked-out 04 CRF450R for a song...he just got his '05 and remembered me saying I wanted first crack if he ever decided to sell it. "Load 'er up, she's mine" I said after about .3 seconds of careful contemplation of the repercussions.

I've had a couple hours riding it around the farm, and I've got to say it's the most amazing bike I've ever ridden! Cadillac suspension, monster power and easy to ride... I was kinda worried that it'd beat me up, being old and kinda pear-shaped, but it's nothing like the brutal rides of my yesteryear.

Thanks again for a great site, and I apologize for the windy post, just hard not to be enthusiastic about these machines.

James

[crfsonly]

welcome to the group. you'll find a lot of others who have a similar story. you'll love the bike and the time you'll be spending with your sons.

again, welcome...ken