I started riding motorcycles the summer of 1970. Actually it was a Benelli mini bike that my brother and I bought together. With a red and chrome tank accented gold pin striping. Propelled by a 20 horse motor and a 4 speed gear box. looking back I figured it was designed for about 1500 miles of smooth road before it broke down, we were able to get maybe 500 out of it by continually riding with a throng of new friends (we had the basketball per say) riding it around a bumpy dirt track a couple hundred yards long in the back field. Before it kinda kept breaking, boys will be boys.
None the less, 500 miles was bookoo laps around that little track. as I rode around that little bumpy track in my mind I was riding across the country. visualizing riding past things I saw in geography books (lots of pictures in a geography book). I was hooked from there, my first street machine was a 72 honda 350 scrambler in which i rode along with my fellow neighborhood kids eeeerrr gang members "The Cedar Crest Cycle Slobs". We were a motley crew of egg throwers, window soaping, horn sticking hooligans. The much feared gang was made up of the kids that started riding on that beneli riding various makes usually less the 500 c.c.'s.
Later it was on to Harleys, over the years i have owned several different machines some I never rode (okay I couldn't get em started) . Rode a 76 sportster while I was in the navy. That was the first bike that I made long rides on. I rode back and forth between Kokomo, Indiana and Norfolk, Virginia three times over 18 months. Fell in love with BMWz bout that time. Bought my first new one from Moody's Cycle Sales, Kokomo Indiana in the spring of 78. they built 200 "R100RS's" that were red white and blue. I rode it to Rutland, Vermont for the National BMWMOA Rally that July for my honeymoon, my son's mom was 7 months pregger I was forced to go it alone. At the rally it seemed either that everybody who bought one those RS'S was there or there were more than 200 built. anyway i was gone 10 daze rode just over 3800 miles and was hooked on being out on the back roads of America.
Over the years I have rode mostly on the east coast with the exception of a quick trip to Norman, Oklahoma, a result of a bet over happy hour beers that I could leave right there and send a wire from Norman, Oklahoma in 12 hours little over 650 miles. Sucked had to sober up riding in rain, took me 13 hours and 20 minutes to lose 500 bux. proud to say that not long after that I quit gambling. April 28th 2006 I rode out of Orlando Florida for the odessy of my lifetime aboard a new 2005 bmw R1200Rt "The Asphalt Angel". 178 daze and 42,656 miles later I returned to Orlando a changed man ("ruined" is probably a better word) all I ever think about is the next trip . While on that trip I witnessed / experienced the rural life of 40 states including Northwest Canada, Riding the Alcan Highway to Alaska, then on to Deadhorse / Prudhoe Bay as far north as you can get by road in the U.S. Funny living in Florida for most of the last 34 years, Unlike the beaches of Daytona I didn't notice anybody on or wearing tourists clothing on the beach Along the coast of the Arctic Ocean.
Live to ride another day
Tom