Sell the Bullet? No way, his family tells him

Jon and his Royal Enfield Bullet.

Riders who follow the Royal Enfield Yahoo message board learned of a real life drama last week. It took a surprisingly heartwarming turn.

It started April 10 with a message from member Jon Miccolis of Illinois.

"Well, I cannot believe that I am doing this but I must sell my 2000 Royal Enfield Bullet 500," he wrote.

"Short of it is I have Multiple Sclerosis and lately I have just been two darned dizzy to safely ride. Being incurable and all it's not going to get any better so..."

He went on to offer his Royal Enfield motorcycle for a very low price.

"It's a nice motorcycle and I am not looking forward to no longer being its owner," Jon wrote.

His message brought many replies, some aimed at cheering him up, to which he responded graciously.  The group's moderator made Jon's motorcycle the featured photo on the website, with details on how to buy it.

And then, on April 13, there was this:

"I'm just going to cut to the chase and tell you like it is — the bike is no longer for sale. It hasn't been sold, it hasn't been stolen, and it hasn't been wrecked. I am keeping it.

"My wife was outraged when I told her that I decided to sell and my son immediately begged me to reconsider. Even though I probably won't be able to continue riding my family wants me to keep it — that and I think my kid planned on riding it himself in a few years. So, I have decided to keep the bike."

The reaction from the Yahoo group was predictable and encouraging

"Good choice, well done and hurrah for your family!" wrote member Malcolm Boyd.

Hurrah, indeed. You have seen many an ad for a motorcycle that claims "the wife says it has to go." It is the nearly universal expectation of husbands that wives aren't expected to understand.

"It was somewhat of a shock to me as well when my wife and son both encouraged (me to keep it), almost forbid me to sell," Jon wrote when I asked permission to share his story here on this blog.

He looks forward to using the motorcycle in the future, when he feels like it.

"I will saddle up and embark on a therapeutic 50-mph bimble up and down the country lanes and farm roads so plentiful in beautiful Northwest Illinois!"