You know you look good in leather.

My silent search to find the right motorcycle had been exposed, and therefore it would eventually become a daily topic of conversation for the three of us. I quickly knew Delilah would be an easy sell, though. I mean, what kid wouldn't want to ride in a sidecar? What kid wouldn't want to be the envy of her friends as she was dropped off at school everyday in a sidecar? I mean, what kid would not want their father to be happy?! I'm sure Delilah wanted me to be happy, but those other two examples clearly would seal the deal for her, which they immediately did! But I wasn't sure how much more work it would take to seal the deal with Amy. Surprisingly, not much. Instead of trying to explain the rudimentary difference between a tandem bicycle and a classic Italian motorcycle with a sidecar to my wife, I decided to take a different approach. "You know you look good in leather."

She walked into the kitchen, as I went back to surfing the web. Moments later, she called out to me. "I do?" Without turning away from my laptop, I smiled as I calmly responded to her. "Of course you look good in leather, honey."

The deal had been officially sealed with that reply.

I spent the next couple of months searching websites for the right bike and sidecar, but with no luck. So I decided to take a new approach. Instead of finding the right website selling a Moto Guzzi and sidecar, I decided to find people who enjoyed Moto Guzzi motorcycles. I instantly found them at MGNOC: Moto Guzzi National Owner's Club. And on my very first visit to their website's classified section, I found for sale a 2000 V11 Bassa Moto Guzzi with a black Ural Sidecar. As if walking into a large room of people standing around, talking in private conversations, I glanced over their heads to find the motorcycle looking directly at me.

"Benvenuti al partito, Angelo." It welcomed me to the party, and I was glad to be there.