Let me start out with a request to any of you that are reading and following these blogs. We want to hear your stories or at least have you comment (with some personal perspective) on mine. "Carson" recently added a comment about taking his then girlfriend to a church function on the back of his motorcycle. What a great visual to imagine a young lady showing up in her best Sunday dress with a black helmet on the back of a Honda 450. I could see it as he described it. I know a lot of you guys (and gals) have some pretty incredible stories from your past that involve motorcycles. Please share them even if it's just a short note and the type of bike you were riding. It's amazing how just the description of these old motorcycles can bring back wonderful memories of our past.
For example, the first bike that my parents let me purchase was a Suzuki 250 X6 Hustler sometime in the early 70's. It was a two-stroke smoker that ran like a bat out of hell (when it ran) but, unfortunately, it was a mechanical nightmare and leaked oil like a sieve. So much so that my girlfriend's father would not let me park my bike in their driveway for fear of a massive oil spill on par with the Exxon Valdez. Although I probably only had it for a year or so, I will always remember it as being (by far) the worst motorcycle I have ever owned.
My parents, who already thought I was crazy, loaned me the money to buy it knowing full well that I could never afford to keep it on my salary as assistant grill cook at the Captain Kidd Drive-In Theater in Kettering, Ohio. I distinctly remember making $1.35/hour back then and often wonder where the minimum wage champions were during my tenure at that lovely establishment. All that aside, I have fond memories of my experiences with that motorcycle (it's funny how your mind conveniently forgets most of the bad stuff) and although I would never want to own one again, it was suitable for a 16-year old kid with motorcycles endlessly circling through his brain.
Which brings me to another quick story involving motorcycles and camping. Now I have been very happily married to an amazingly tolerant woman for over 26 years. She is not only a beautiful, smart, funny woman, but she happens to be my very best friend and the person with whom I choose to do most of my crazy hobbies. SO... it was with little hesitation that I suggested we go camping on our motorcycle sometime in the early 80's.
At the time we had a Yamaha 750 Twin that, although it was considerably larger and more powerful than our previous Yamaha 550, it was still not the most comfortable bike for a long haul on the highway. Add to that very little experience packing a motorcycle for a weekend camping trip, getting lost along the way and ultimately ending up in a lousy campground and you have the start of a memorable (for all the wrong reasons) camping trip.
You can imagine my wife's disappointment when we pulled into the campground, very close to dark, with a sore bum from riding all day and proceed to pitch our measly excuse for a tent on a rocky, sloping hill. It was not pretty, but it was certainly memorable. What I remember most is a lousy night of sleep on the hard ground and, even at that young age, barely being able to walk the next morning.
Well, the trip was originally scheduled to include a tour of the town the next day and visiting some of the local artists . Ultimately, it did not include any of these. Instead, we got up and, without a word, proceeded to tear down our sad little campsite, load up the bike and head for home. On the way home, my poorly packed bike threw off our tent and ground cloth somewhere on the highway and when I mentioned it to my wife upon arrival home, I'm quite sure she merely shrugged as if it was meant to happen. I will always wonder whether she, at some point, reached behind her and casually released the poorly secured bungee cord holding our camping gear to the bike. Either way, it was a rather inauspicious start to my motorcycle camping career.
Now, leaving all those memories behind where they belong... we have since become quite the capable and comfortable motorcycle campers. With the additional knowledge that can only come from personal experience, we are now fully stocked and prepared for nothing less than a sumptuous, gourmet experience whenever we hit the road. With our trusty Harley-Davidson Road King and our Trekker Trailer in tow, we now carry with us all of the luxuries befitting a well-traveled, adventurous couple. The trailer allows us to carry all of our equipment, bedding and food without sacrificing an ounce of handling or performance. The 12-volt plug inside allows us to charge our cell phones or keep our cooler running cold the entire trip. Luxury is probably not strong enough a word for such amenities on the road, but we have certainly gotten used to it.
After getting almost ten inches of snow in Central Virginia this week, you can be assured I will be out in my shop this weekend making sure the battery is charging properly and everything is ready to go at a moment's notice. My experience has been that Spring is always the best time to go camping in this part of the country. The bugs are still asleep and the nights are cool enough for snuggling instead of sweating.
I don't know about you, but I feel a trip coming on... and if I start now I may have everything ready to go by the time the snow melts:-)
See you on the road.
MotoRush
For example, the first bike that my parents let me purchase was a Suzuki 250 X6 Hustler sometime in the early 70's. It was a two-stroke smoker that ran like a bat out of hell (when it ran) but, unfortunately, it was a mechanical nightmare and leaked oil like a sieve. So much so that my girlfriend's father would not let me park my bike in their driveway for fear of a massive oil spill on par with the Exxon Valdez. Although I probably only had it for a year or so, I will always remember it as being (by far) the worst motorcycle I have ever owned.My parents, who already thought I was crazy, loaned me the money to buy it knowing full well that I could never afford to keep it on my salary as assistant grill cook at the Captain Kidd Drive-In Theater in Kettering, Ohio. I distinctly remember making $1.35/hour back then and often wonder where the minimum wage champions were during my tenure at that lovely establishment. All that aside, I have fond memories of my experiences with that motorcycle (it's funny how your mind conveniently forgets most of the bad stuff) and although I would never want to own one again, it was suitable for a 16-year old kid with motorcycles endlessly circling through his brain.
Which brings me to another quick story involving motorcycles and camping. Now I have been very happily married to an amazingly tolerant woman for over 26 years. She is not only a beautiful, smart, funny woman, but she happens to be my very best friend and the person with whom I choose to do most of my crazy hobbies. SO... it was with little hesitation that I suggested we go camping on our motorcycle sometime in the early 80's.
At the time we had a Yamaha 750 Twin that, although it was considerably larger and more powerful than our previous Yamaha 550, it was still not the most comfortable bike for a long haul on the highway. Add to that very little experience packing a motorcycle for a weekend camping trip, getting lost along the way and ultimately ending up in a lousy campground and you have the start of a memorable (for all the wrong reasons) camping trip.You can imagine my wife's disappointment when we pulled into the campground, very close to dark, with a sore bum from riding all day and proceed to pitch our measly excuse for a tent on a rocky, sloping hill. It was not pretty, but it was certainly memorable. What I remember most is a lousy night of sleep on the hard ground and, even at that young age, barely being able to walk the next morning.
Well, the trip was originally scheduled to include a tour of the town the next day and visiting some of the local artists . Ultimately, it did not include any of these. Instead, we got up and, without a word, proceeded to tear down our sad little campsite, load up the bike and head for home. On the way home, my poorly packed bike threw off our tent and ground cloth somewhere on the highway and when I mentioned it to my wife upon arrival home, I'm quite sure she merely shrugged as if it was meant to happen. I will always wonder whether she, at some point, reached behind her and casually released the poorly secured bungee cord holding our camping gear to the bike. Either way, it was a rather inauspicious start to my motorcycle camping career.
Now, leaving all those memories behind where they belong... we have since become quite the capable and comfortable motorcycle campers. With the additional knowledge that can only come from personal experience, we are now fully stocked and prepared for nothing less than a sumptuous, gourmet experience whenever we hit the road. With our trusty Harley-Davidson Road King and our Trekker Trailer in tow, we now carry with us all of the luxuries befitting a well-traveled, adventurous couple. The trailer allows us to carry all of our equipment, bedding and food without sacrificing an ounce of handling or performance. The 12-volt plug inside allows us to charge our cell phones or keep our cooler running cold the entire trip. Luxury is probably not strong enough a word for such amenities on the road, but we have certainly gotten used to it.
After getting almost ten inches of snow in Central Virginia this week, you can be assured I will be out in my shop this weekend making sure the battery is charging properly and everything is ready to go at a moment's notice. My experience has been that Spring is always the best time to go camping in this part of the country. The bugs are still asleep and the nights are cool enough for snuggling instead of sweating.
I don't know about you, but I feel a trip coming on... and if I start now I may have everything ready to go by the time the snow melts:-)See you on the road.
MotoRush
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