HDSickness
Banned
It just feels good the wind in your face the sweet purr of the motor and all your worries just fade away.
D
dbmg
Guest
I ride for me, myself and I. With a family now its the only me time I get. I enjoy mostly riding on new roads and wonder if I will ever be able to find the new road again.....
RUSHMORE_14
Junior Member
I ride because it's the only time I'm really "alone" with my thoughts.....I ride because my wife and I enjoy it, it's "our" thing.....I ride because I like taking those trips that are for great causes.....I ride because the diversity of the people that ride is vast...we are doctors, lawyers, teachers, steel workers, electicians, computer programmers, but we are ALL bikers.
Ride safe.
Ride safe.
70_West
Member
Gosh this is going to sound stupid, but when I read the OP's question I just started to write. It made me think of so much in my life and how a motorcycle has always some how figured in to it. There's so many things that popped in to my head. I've been riding since the Pope was an alter boy... my goodness but I've changed out a lot of rear tires...
I got my first motorcycle in 1969, a nearly new Honda CL 70. My Dad had won it in a pool game down at Slim's. He was a great pool shot and frequently supplemented a mechanics meager income with that skill. I'll never forget the day that thing showed up, I just couldn't believe it was mine. To this day I clearly remember shifting gears the first time and forgetting to let the clutch out until the engine red lined and it stood almost straight up with me clinging for dear life to the back of it like some rodeo clown.
Several years later, I had parked the Honda and moved up to a DT 125 Yamaha. Twice as fast and a true enduro, I quickly became a little devil on two wheels. I could shift gears through third gear on the back tire, once jumped it over a state trooper's car, ripped up the neighborhood and dreamed of becoming the next Roger DeCoster...
Then the old man got tired of it and wheeled that old Honda 70 out and challenged me to a drag race. With a gleam in my eye, I gladly accepted the chance to trounce him good... In front of all my friends, three times in a row, that silly Honda slipped past my Yamaha until I refused to race again...
Dejectedly sulking in my bedroom later that night, I heard a knock and Dad sat down, slapped me on the back and began to explain the secrets of a motorcycle... The physics involved and, equally, the psychology of riding... The discussion ran long in to the night, it evolved in to gyroscopes, handling, women, stability, horsepower, dogs, launching, braking, guns and turning... a myriad of things that I had never before considered or even dreamed of. For many days after, I asked a multitude of questions and received as many good answers.
For years later he and I rode together across the country side, usually with me following. He and I explored forgotten roads, traveled to various towns of his youth and formed a bond that hasn't been broken even today... Sleeping on uneven ground, learning to shoot my whiskey straight, and generally leading a sinful lifestyle. But also delivering Christmas to the underprivileged, carrying groceries to the aged, and helping those in need.
I caught him in the garage recently, sitting on my Harley. He didn't know I was standing there behind him as he flipped the ignition, fired the bike, pulled the clutch and popped it in to gear. With the crack of the throttle and rumble of the engine, I saw the years melt off his frame, shoulders squared up and his head raised as he took the weight of the bike with his legs. I thought sure he was going to roll, when his thumb killed the ignition, kicked out the stand and stepped off. I eased up beside him and looked in to his eyes and said 'You know what time it is, you should have taken it...' He said 'I do and it's your time now, mine's over...' as he handed me back the key.
I think that's when I became a motorcyclist... that night, many years ago. Oh, he told me that night, how he had beaten that Yamaha so handily, and with that knowledge I never lost but one drag race after. But more so, he taught me to think of motorcycles differently than I had up to that point, maybe with more precision and skill, if that makes sense. I never did become the next DeCoster, but I have enjoyed a lot of country roads and excellent bikes. Met a lot of great people and bore witness to an even greater country.
I know that doesn't answer why I ride, but I really don't think there is an answer to that. Why in the world am I working on a heated jacket so I can ride in freezing weather, when there's a perfectly good truck sitting there paid for...? I dunno... You have to be crazy to be a rider, it's like asking why jump out of a plane or be a police officer or fight fires... None of the answers will tell you the true reason... Which may just be to feel our ears flapping in the wind...
The old man is busy dying now... stage 5 colon cancer has left him in sad shape, but he's left a legacy behind... successful children and a ton of grand kids. I wish he had taken the Harley that day... I'm sure the smile on his face alone would have given him another month or so.
Sorry for such a stupid reply, it just came out and makes it a bit easier tonight.
I got my first motorcycle in 1969, a nearly new Honda CL 70. My Dad had won it in a pool game down at Slim's. He was a great pool shot and frequently supplemented a mechanics meager income with that skill. I'll never forget the day that thing showed up, I just couldn't believe it was mine. To this day I clearly remember shifting gears the first time and forgetting to let the clutch out until the engine red lined and it stood almost straight up with me clinging for dear life to the back of it like some rodeo clown.
Several years later, I had parked the Honda and moved up to a DT 125 Yamaha. Twice as fast and a true enduro, I quickly became a little devil on two wheels. I could shift gears through third gear on the back tire, once jumped it over a state trooper's car, ripped up the neighborhood and dreamed of becoming the next Roger DeCoster...
Then the old man got tired of it and wheeled that old Honda 70 out and challenged me to a drag race. With a gleam in my eye, I gladly accepted the chance to trounce him good... In front of all my friends, three times in a row, that silly Honda slipped past my Yamaha until I refused to race again...
Dejectedly sulking in my bedroom later that night, I heard a knock and Dad sat down, slapped me on the back and began to explain the secrets of a motorcycle... The physics involved and, equally, the psychology of riding... The discussion ran long in to the night, it evolved in to gyroscopes, handling, women, stability, horsepower, dogs, launching, braking, guns and turning... a myriad of things that I had never before considered or even dreamed of. For many days after, I asked a multitude of questions and received as many good answers.
For years later he and I rode together across the country side, usually with me following. He and I explored forgotten roads, traveled to various towns of his youth and formed a bond that hasn't been broken even today... Sleeping on uneven ground, learning to shoot my whiskey straight, and generally leading a sinful lifestyle. But also delivering Christmas to the underprivileged, carrying groceries to the aged, and helping those in need.
I caught him in the garage recently, sitting on my Harley. He didn't know I was standing there behind him as he flipped the ignition, fired the bike, pulled the clutch and popped it in to gear. With the crack of the throttle and rumble of the engine, I saw the years melt off his frame, shoulders squared up and his head raised as he took the weight of the bike with his legs. I thought sure he was going to roll, when his thumb killed the ignition, kicked out the stand and stepped off. I eased up beside him and looked in to his eyes and said 'You know what time it is, you should have taken it...' He said 'I do and it's your time now, mine's over...' as he handed me back the key.
I think that's when I became a motorcyclist... that night, many years ago. Oh, he told me that night, how he had beaten that Yamaha so handily, and with that knowledge I never lost but one drag race after. But more so, he taught me to think of motorcycles differently than I had up to that point, maybe with more precision and skill, if that makes sense. I never did become the next DeCoster, but I have enjoyed a lot of country roads and excellent bikes. Met a lot of great people and bore witness to an even greater country.
I know that doesn't answer why I ride, but I really don't think there is an answer to that. Why in the world am I working on a heated jacket so I can ride in freezing weather, when there's a perfectly good truck sitting there paid for...? I dunno... You have to be crazy to be a rider, it's like asking why jump out of a plane or be a police officer or fight fires... None of the answers will tell you the true reason... Which may just be to feel our ears flapping in the wind...
The old man is busy dying now... stage 5 colon cancer has left him in sad shape, but he's left a legacy behind... successful children and a ton of grand kids. I wish he had taken the Harley that day... I'm sure the smile on his face alone would have given him another month or so.
Sorry for such a stupid reply, it just came out and makes it a bit easier tonight.
Last edited by a moderator:
Mongo44
Member
Thanks for sharing that, Jack. It's absolutely far from "stupid!" I'm sorry to hear about your pops, too.
My story is similar to yours, but since I've already posted it in my intro some time back, I'll just say that I ride for so many reasons that I couldn't possibly list them all. But I will say that I think riding a motorcycle is the closest thing to flying without actually being a bird. Sure, you can fly a plane, hang glider or whatever, but on a motorcycle, your entire body is part of the process. It's you in the wind and nothing else. On a bike, you see things you'd never see in your mobile phone booth, too, so it certainly enriches the entire experience.
I've been riding since the tender young age of four. I've taken breaks here and there, but will always love riding.
My story is similar to yours, but since I've already posted it in my intro some time back, I'll just say that I ride for so many reasons that I couldn't possibly list them all. But I will say that I think riding a motorcycle is the closest thing to flying without actually being a bird. Sure, you can fly a plane, hang glider or whatever, but on a motorcycle, your entire body is part of the process. It's you in the wind and nothing else. On a bike, you see things you'd never see in your mobile phone booth, too, so it certainly enriches the entire experience.
I've been riding since the tender young age of four. I've taken breaks here and there, but will always love riding.
Good thread Jack...why do I ride?...Many reasons...two-wheeled sports has always been something I enjoyed...from learning how to ride a bicycle...in the 60's (friends' Schwinn Sting Ray with banana seat) to the Harley I ride today. I have ridden street sportbikes since 1980, the quiet solitude of a full face helmet, full leather protection and full fairing bike makes "spirited" rides easy, mental focus on road tactics, traction and trust in your bike's braking and power delivery...but way too little on the REASON.
Fast foward to my first ride 3 years ago on the Harley...nice sunny summer day in SoCal with my gal out back. A 1/2 helmet with faceshield, "in your face" wind, clear vision, booming exhaust note and smells of strawberries, lemons, peppers and eucalyptus trees. Imagine all that in full tilt harmony with the mechanical vibration, road feel and tractor like V-Twin torque seductive power. Can there be Nirvana on the road...OH YEAH.
Fast foward to my first ride 3 years ago on the Harley...nice sunny summer day in SoCal with my gal out back. A 1/2 helmet with faceshield, "in your face" wind, clear vision, booming exhaust note and smells of strawberries, lemons, peppers and eucalyptus trees. Imagine all that in full tilt harmony with the mechanical vibration, road feel and tractor like V-Twin torque seductive power. Can there be Nirvana on the road...OH YEAH.
Harleyrider2008
New Member
My sweet wife Cindy and I both own ride Harley's , mine is a 2008 EG Classic and she rides a 2006 1200 Custom Sporty.........For her it's all pleasure, her job keeps her from riding every weekend so in between camping in our RV trailer and working every other weekend, she rides when she gets the urge nowadays....
..Myself...I never rode to work because I always was in a company supplied vehicle..but after retirement My Harley's became my premier mode of transportation, especially to the golf course........I very seldom use our van to go anywhere now and I'll ride her Sporty around town ( no use to put too many miles on the geezer glide). Living in God's country here in southwest Louisiana we can ride just about every day of the year and I take full advantage of that.
Cindy doesn't like to ride more than 250 to 300 miles per day so if we are going further then that we trailer our bikes to a central location and then ride out every day from there........... We do at least one trip a year together on the bikes, last trip we toured Arkansas, great roads in that state.......
Not for me though, five good friends (We call ourselves the six Amigo's) and I have made numerous cross country trips together that usually last anywhere from 7 to 10 days out at a time.. last trip was to Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas for 6 days of riding.
And now I'm doing my stint as Director of our local HOG Chapter so that takes up quite a bit of my riding time also...we have two group rides per month to various cities in the 100+ mile ranges, with some overnighters mixed in for good measure......The camaraderie in our group of 170 members is absolutely fantastic, all rides together are adventures.
It's in my blood........riding fits me like a cotton glove should.........
..Myself...I never rode to work because I always was in a company supplied vehicle..but after retirement My Harley's became my premier mode of transportation, especially to the golf course........I very seldom use our van to go anywhere now and I'll ride her Sporty around town ( no use to put too many miles on the geezer glide). Living in God's country here in southwest Louisiana we can ride just about every day of the year and I take full advantage of that.
Cindy doesn't like to ride more than 250 to 300 miles per day so if we are going further then that we trailer our bikes to a central location and then ride out every day from there........... We do at least one trip a year together on the bikes, last trip we toured Arkansas, great roads in that state.......
Not for me though, five good friends (We call ourselves the six Amigo's) and I have made numerous cross country trips together that usually last anywhere from 7 to 10 days out at a time.. last trip was to Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas for 6 days of riding.
And now I'm doing my stint as Director of our local HOG Chapter so that takes up quite a bit of my riding time also...we have two group rides per month to various cities in the 100+ mile ranges, with some overnighters mixed in for good measure......The camaraderie in our group of 170 members is absolutely fantastic, all rides together are adventures.
It's in my blood........riding fits me like a cotton glove should.........