Sitting in the dentist’s office, playing with WordPress for Android. This is a handy gadget!

At those prices you’re looking at the AKT brand.  They are actually a fairly decent little bike, getting around 10hp from their four stroke engine.  The vest is only required from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. now and is a good idea from the visibility viewpoint.  I still can’t understand why anyone would want to wear a black rain slicker on a bike with tiny LED’s replacing the tail light through the rain on a dark night – but they do.

A friend of mine has an AKT that’s about four years old and has almost 60,000 kilometers on it with no major repairs, just regular maintenance and upkeep.  That’s a much better record than Jialing or Jenching and other such low end bikes will have.  I’ve seen a Jialing with only 25,000 k on the odometer in for a major overhaul – rebore .25 over, new piston, rings, bearings, etc.

There difference between the AKT NKD and the more expensive models is not just the crash bar.  There’s a difference in the brakes (disc instead of drum) and in the carburetor – don’t recall the details.  Most of the rest is cosmetic.

For my money the GN125 by Suzuki is a better buy.  It will set you back more at the start but you have more horse power (20% more) and more resale value (although ALL used bike prices have come down with the flood of cheap new ones).

The GN125 has taken me from Pereira to Cali, to Medellin and Guatapé and to Bogotá, even on down to Villavicencio.  It’s a bit slow on the upside of the slopes, but gets the job done.  More horse power would be nice for long trips, but most of my riding is around Pereira where the GN125 is more than enough.

Riding isn’t for everyone.  In most cases down here it’s not a “relaxing ride through town” but rather more like a high intensity video game with no “Reset” button, just “Game Over – Call the meatwagon”.  But on a bike I can go places on my own for a more reasonable fee (the other day I rode Pereira/Armenia/Quimbaya/Alcalá/Pereira) – no tolls on the highways, just fuel costs.  And fuel costs on the small bikes are small indeed when compared to a four wheel vehicle.

The reason there are so many small bikes on the road is that there is no annual vehicle tax on them.  Anything under 125 cc’s is not taxed yearly.  Anything OVER that IS taxed.  If you opt to buy anything over a 125 make SURE you get a statement of account on it as to back taxes owed or not.  The penalties for NOT paying are MUCH higher than the tax itself and you can get yourself stuck having to pick up someone else’s tab.

Costs of ownership of the small bikes is essentially summed up as a yearly “Gas Emissions and Safety” inspection fee, the yearly SOAT (mandatory hospitalization/burial insurance for motor vehicles) and the usual fuel and maintenance.  I figured out that it’s less than  $1,000 pesos a day for me to have my bike – whether it’s parked or on the street.  Fuel costs are a gallon for every 133 kilometers of city driving, closer to 150 kilometers on the highway, even up and down the Andes roads.  I can go to Bogotá and BACK for what it would cost for a one way bus ticket up there – plus have the use of the bike while there instead of paying taxis and buses.

Typically I’ll have a great ride over and then some idiot will try to kill me in Soacha or Bosa along Avenida Sur.  Riding in Bogotá is a whole other animal indeed.  It can get your blood to pumping and turn you into a dirty grease spot if you don’t watch yourself and those around you carefully.  Riding the streets of Bogotá is almost like a mayfly riding the waters of a Rocky Mountain trout stream… you’re at the bottom of the food chain.

Sometimes I get the itch to pick up something with more “oomph!” to it. A quick stroll around the various dealers soon kills that itch.  A 200 cc bike at Suzuki costs about four times what a new GN125 does.  Ironically, a GS500 from Suzuki is less than five times more than the GN125, just a bit more than the 200cc bike.  Some off brands are making inroads here.  The Bajaj Pulsar now comes in a 220 cc bike which costs less than twice what a GN125 does.  The Pulsar has a big following in India, its land of origin, and down here as well.  But it’s of the “crotch rocket” or “go fast” style which leaves me cold. My style is more “Sit up and watch the world go by” than “lean over and follow the dotted line”. UM has a 250 cc cruiser type bike but there’s a LOT of shiny plastic on it that underwhelms me.  Still, at around 50% or so more than the GN125 it does have some appeal to it.  But one must have the funds and this one does not so it’s all speculation at this point in time.

“450 CC’s is a BIG motorcycle”
“1,000 square feet is a BIG house”
“50 miles per hour is FAST”
“A 5.56 mm (223 Remington) is a High Power Rifle”
“38 Special is a BIG handgun cartridge”
“A size 9 shoe is HUGE”
“A six foot tall man is a giant”

Then I realize that there are a lot of differences in perception, mostly because there are vast differences in our experiences. That is why when folks ask me “Is the coffee too strong?” or “Is the road good?” or “Is it very spicy?” – I tell them, “It depends on your perspective.” 

Over the years I’ve seen abuses committed by people in other walks of life as well. The priest, preacher or other religious figure who abuses his position for personal gain or sexual gratification is beneath contempt. The teacher or professor who hands out good grades in exchange for sexual favors is likewise the scum of the earth. And yet we realize that these are the exceptions to the rule. In the same way, the person who utilizes a firearm to commit a crime is despicable – but in no way is he representative of the majority of the gun owning public.

Just as in any profession, the bad apple gets the press. Those who use a badge to bully and intimidate are the ones who get all the attention. What about those who are doing their best to do the right thing?

The old adage of “walk a mile in their shoes” is one that we should take into consideration. When the cop pulls over a vehicle he doesn’t know if he’s going to find a parish priest late to mass, a soccer mom talking on a phone or a serial killer with a gun in hand and a corpse in the trunk – or just John Q. Public with a chip on his shoulder and disdain for the man behind the badge. The cop, by the very nature of his job, gets to focus in on the seamier side of life. His job is to deal with those who break the law. And since that is what he sees the most, he may very well begin to believe that ALL people are that way. This does not excuse him, but it does help one to understand WHY he has become what he has become.

Some of my friends are either currently serving in law enforcement or have been in law enforcement. To a man they are honest citizens who’s only concern is to do a good job and get home at night to the wife and kids – alive. I believe they are representative of the majority of law enforcement. And my friends are NOT the ones who will kick down doors to enforce anti-constitutional laws and mandates. However, they are also members of smaller town and city departments where folks still have the basic values upon which our nation was founded.

We are at a critical time in our nation’s history. For too long we have sought to improve our society via human philosophies rather than solid Godly principles. And we are reaping the results thereof. We’ve taught folks that there is no personal responsibility and then wonder why our corts are clogged with “not my fault” suits. We have taught that criminals have more rights than tax paying citizens and then wonder why our streets run red with blood. We turn repeat violent offenders out on the streets and punish the law abiding for the crimes the perps commit.

In other words, the perceived problems in law enforcement circles are mere symptoms of the greater ills suffered throughout our entire society. Rather than bashing all police officers for the actions of the over zealous and overbearing jack booted thugs that some are, why not seek positive steps to turn our nation back to a better time? We need good men to step up and fill the ranks of our legislative, executive and judicial branches of government on all levels. We need good men to step forward and fill the ranks of law enforcement and military positions. We need good men to step forward and fill the ranks of our educational establishments. The problem is that there are fewer and fewer good men because too many have taken the position that there’s no such thing as good and bad.

The problem is that we bash law enforcement for the ills that our entire society are guilty of. Instead of scapegoating all cops for the actions of those who abuse their position, why don’t we take responsibility for the changes that we as individuals can make in society – and make a difference by our example?