I know what you’re thinking. Why did you buy a motorcycle? If you know me, you know I’m a car guy. I love my 20014 Convertible Mustang and my 2006 F150. I always felt motorcycles were unsafe and impractical. Sure, they look fun, but so does skydiving, which is also unsafe and impractical. I have no intention of jumping out of a plane; however, I did want to shake things up. I recently lost both my parents, and after an evaluation of my life, I felt the need to experience more before the ride comes to an end.
Keep in mind my two-wheeled experiences were limited to Trek and Schwinn. I only knew I wanted to sit upright on a cruiser, not bent over on a plastic sport bike. I abused Google for days looking for the perfect bike. I teetered on the used-vs-new seesaw while working toward a budget. Finally, it came down to two choices. The modern, tried-and-true Honda 500 Rebel, or the traditional, air-cooled 650 Super Meteor.
Sure, the Rebel looked sexy, with its all-blacked-out hardware, upright riding style, and those big bubble tires. She strutted an inline 471 liquid-cooled parallel-twin pumping out 30-plus pounds of torque. That sounds great on paper, but most online comments say it feels like an appliance, sounds like a sewing machine, and is very practical.
I wanted the experience. I wanted the smell of burnt oil, the heat from the motor housing, and a rumble you can hear through the wind thumping away at 70 miles per hour. For my first motorcycle, I was convinced I wanted the British design built by an Indian company. I wanted the Super Meteor, and yes. It came in black! With a little bit of chrome.
On June 24, 2026, MotoJulia’s sales representative, Anthony, called me out of the blue about a bike I clicked on after a long day of bike browsing. Of course, he wanted me to come sit on it, play with the buttons, and see myself in the polished chrome mufflers. On the 26th, I was a proud owner of a 2024 Super Meteor 650, Astral Black.