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[tommyo]

Seriously... Evel Knievel! When I saw him on Wild World of Sports as a kid, I said to myself I'm going to ride motorcycles too. At 7 I started to ride dirt bikes. By 14 I was racing motocross and that is where I met SirMike113. Not sure how many years he raced but he did well in that amount of time. It took me longer to get faster but I did it for 25+ years.

I think it was in 2004 after I broke my hip a buddy of mine who owned 2 Harley's at the time asked if I wanted to do a ride out of Austin's Sallon to Lake Geneva for a beifit for kids. At first I told him no thanks. Not intertested. (Every time he came over on that thing I would run out with a piece of cardboard and ask him where is he going to park?) After he had asked me about the ride I started to think... why not. I ended up riding his Duece. For the first time in my life I was riding a bike doing the speed limit and having a blast! I spent my whole life going as fast as I can! I was hooked!! At that moment I realized that I'm not just a racer anymore... I'm a motorcycle enthusiast (sp). I enjoy riding!!

Well I'm on my third and still going strong!! Met many great people and think this thing is more of a family.

My only two complaints are: The floor boards are way to low and drag the street all the time.  And , they told me I was garranteed at least 7 lays...lol! So far I'm way behind!  I was married for most of my Harley career so now I have some catching up to do...lol!

Thanks for the post Mike!!

[altugo]

I was 11 years old playing soccer on the street.Next to us under the apartement building there was a bike under cover.One day a big guy came and lifted up the bike cover.It was summer time and i just kept staring at it.It was a harley.All that chrome shined under the summer sun.He turned it on the sound was amazing and he just rode off.That day i said to my self im gonna get one of these.It was around 1981 and in those days there werent many harleys in Turkey.He was a member of the US airforce or army so he brought his bike here when he got stationed.I have ridden other bikes and currently i also own a goldwing wich i use for moving around in a haste but it just dont cut it.
Feeling of freedom while riding and that engine sound is only available trough MoCo bikes with out a substitute.
Another thing i feel about my harley is like the feeling of being at home.I bought the fatboy in 2006 and since than i continiously add a few things here and there.More i add more it looks better.Its like decorating your house with things that you really like.Than when i take it out for a long ride i feel like i am moving from one city to another with my house.Where ever my bike is that place makes me feel at home.I dont get that feeling with any other vehicle that i ever owned/own.

[Dan_Lockwood]

After reading this post, I have to jump in with my 2¢ worth of useless information.

Due to the length of this, I have to split it up into two parts.

PART 1

I warn you all now, this isn’t going to be short.  If you need to take a No Doze to stay awake while reading, I suggest you take one now.

I've been a mechanic of sorts all my life.  In my younger days I was the mechanic at our family marina which among other things we sold Bridgestone motorcycles (way back in the '60s), Johnson outboards, Mercury outboards, Arctic Cat, Polaris and Johnson snowmobiles.  I always leaned toward the unusual, like the old Matchless 500 single I had for awhile way back when.  I also raced snowmobiles.  I was on the Ski Doo racing team for the Michigan Ski Doo distributor back in ’70 and ’71.  Our team had 4 of the first Ski Doo Blizzard snowmobiles, mine was a 640 cc.  For the ’70 year I was bouncing around between 2nd and 3rd in the points standings, boy to be young, stupid and fearless…

My mechanical skills can be directly related to my dad.  He used to work on road construction while I was in my growing up years.  We stopped moving around when I was half way through my 7th grade of school.  Up till then I had attended 11 other schools, one school twice, different years of course.  He’d bring home things from the road job, like a diesel fuel injection pump, that my older brother and I would just tear into them, you know, because they were there kind of thing.  My dad worked with me and taught me many things.  In my later teen years at the marina I was not very nice to him.  He would try to tell or so me something and I’d say, “I know that” and he’d just walk away leaving me to fend for myself.  I realize now I didn’t REALLY know it all and he was still trying to teach me things.  It’s the damn hindsight thing, isn’t it…

In my late teens and early 20’s I probably had 20 bikes of varying sorts.  During that time I only had one HD in my early days, a '56 KH flathead.  I got it running and did ride it a bit, but without a title I ended up getting rid of it.

Jump forward to mid ‘70s.  I knew an old school friend that had a '65 Cushman Silvereagle and bought the beast.  After quite some time of tinkering, I got it running.  I rode that thing around town for fun.  It was loud and got lots of looks.  Moving forward to my 40's, I eventually restored it.  I bought my neighbor's '77 Goldwing (GL1000) with just 23k miles on the clock.  I rode that thing double up with the wife and we had great fun.  But as luck would have it, I gathered a collection of sorts.  During the same time period I had my restored '65 Cushman Silver Eagle and another electric start '65 Silver Eagle I bought for my wife, a Lambretta 150, a Vespa 100 Sport, '77 Triumph Bonneville 750 twin, the '77 Goldwing, two Iseta 300 micro cars and a BMW Isetta 600 micro car limo, it had two doors.  (Remember I said I leaned towards the obscure and unusual) Also at that time I had my ’33 Dodge streetrod under construction.  I got stupid at a swap meet and bought a ’41 Mercury convertible in rust free condition that was earmarked to become the next project for my wife.  Well the thought was there, anyway.

I then got a wild hair, you know where, and sold everything to finance my streetrod dreams and started on the '40 Willys coupe with a blown 392 hemi.  (See Picture Trail photo albums for proof of my wild hair)

Sorry for the rambling and getting off topic.

My dad was born in ’13 and was an adventurer of sorts.  Growing up in the center part of Michigan during the ‘20s and into the depression era you had to do everything for yourself.  He said when he was just a kid they could out run most cars going by their house.  The kids would run up and grab the rear bumper of a car and just kind of drag or foot ski in the sandy road bed.  He started to ride motorcycles in his early 20’s.  He had a Henderson, a couple older Indians and finally got in to Harleys.  He bought a ’28 Harley and he told me about just riding it everywhere.  He had no car so it was his only means of transportation year round.  He had friends with cars if needed.  He had one of those old canvas fairings with the lower leg guards to help keep him warm.  I can’t imagine all the old wool pants and coats they used to wear to keep warm.  He said that the warmest thing he found was some Air Force flying clothes.  He had lamb’s skin fleece flight coat and fleece flight over pants that zipped up both legs like chaps.  As a kid I can remember both the pants and coat.  I used to wear them around the house.  Mind you he had long since stopped riding but the stuff still hung around in our collection of “stuff” (junk, lots of it).  

Sorry to digress, a couple years later he bought a used Harley from the Flint police department, a ’34 model for $180.00.  Dad said a new Harley was just over $300.00.  A few years later he bought a ’38 from the same police Sergeant, which was his last Harley.  He’s now 94 years old and just last week I asked him how much time he had to spend working on it.  He told me he had good times and some hard times.  In some cases he had to have trans shafts made because he couldn’t afford to buy new stuff.  He had a friend that worked at a GM plant and he did some of the machine work for dad there.

See nest post for final chapter... 

[Dan_Lockwood]

PART 2

So here it is, the final chapter.

Again I apologize for this length, just bitch slap me!!!!


Dad told me he left Farwell MI on his Harley and headed out to Chicago area to see a friend, about 350 miles.  From Chicago he headed down to W. Virginia to see his sister.  While there he had a flat tire and his brother in-law ordered him a tube and had it delivered to their house.  During that down time my dad painted their house for them.  I can’t imagine it was very large as it was a mining town in the 30’s.  He rode all the way back home to Farwell in two days over roads that were terrible by today’s standards.  The stories he tells just make me wonder how they did it all.

I can’t imagine just taking off on one of those old bikes without much money in your pocket and just going hundreds of miles.

Another time he and a friend took off to Indianapolis to see a buddy.  During their stay in Indy they happened upon the speedway.  He said they were working on the fence and the grounds.  They stopped to have a cigarette and talk to the workers there.  Before they were through talking to the guys, they told dad and his friend to go take a lap or two around the “Brickyard”.  Of course then it was all bricks.

What an adventure back during the depression.

While we were selling Bridgestone motorcycles, a few of my dad’s friends were riding Harleys.  I always thought they were SO huge and one day I would ride one as well.  Back then where we lived there were miles and miles of state land that you could ride on or camp without permits, no stinking ORV stickers…  These guys traded in their Panheads on Sportsters and began to terrorize the state land, but in a good way.  We sold both of them Dunlop trials tires, kind of a cross between knobby tires and aggressive street tires.  One of the guys brought one of the new tires back with about 6” of the tread missing.  We called the distributor and they said to give him a new tire and Albert was off and running.  About a week later he brought back that tire with another 6” missing on that one.  We gave him another new tire but this time dad asked him what he was doing when the tread came off.  He said he was late for work a day each week and was trying to get to work as fast as he could.  There was this really big hill called fire tower hill; DNR had an observation tower on the hill to look for fires (hence the name).  Well he was going down fire tower hill on the mile long down hill slopping side at over 100 on the speedo when he felt a vibration and off went the tread.  He did this two weeks in a row.  Dad said that was his last free tire and he better slow down as these “off road” tires were not meant to run that fast.

Bikes have been a major part of my life.  From time to time during my first life, first wife, I had different bikes, but mostly dirt or street/dirt bikes.  One particular sticks in my mind as a “What the” bike.  It was a KZ900 with a 14” over springer and an Amen hard tail frame.  What was I thinking?  No, I didn’t smoke anything back then.  Then in my second life, second wife, I got back into riding after a few years off.  She is very much into riding and enjoys being the passenger a lot.

So to me when I bought my buddy’s old ’76 FLH it meant two things.  It meant getting back into riding and finally getting a Harley.

To me Harley is adventure, wonderment, nostalgia, all wrapped up in one great package…  Just writing all this and thinking about is giving me goose bumps.

I can’t imagine thinking about a Honda step through giving me that same feeling.

So people……… I’m hooked for good.

It IS hard to explain to someone else how it makes you feel.  All my memories and what my dad has meant to me.  All the mechanical things, bike experiences, his stories, you just can’t explain it properly.

You have to live it I guess.

Yes, I also feel somewhat accepted as a biker when I ride my Harley, but I’m not in some people’s mind a true biker (that Baby Boomer thing).  I’ve always been a biker for the fun of riding, regardless of what I rode.  I’ve had my off years without bikes, but as I said, bikes have always been a big part of me and how I feel.  Having a Harley makes me connect with the past and the present.  I connect with Mr. Davidson and Mr. Harley as they are the inspiration we all come from.

My nephew bought out a sports center in Clare MI a few years ago and they sell Polaris, Ski Doo, Arctic Cat and Kawasaki’s.  He said he could have sold me almost three Vulcan 2000’s for the money I spent on the new SERK.  I guess if had wanted to “just” ride, that would have been good.  But I wanted to ride AND continue the “experience” and to me that only means Harley Davidson.

I’m very sorry if I’ve bored you all with my ramblings and stories, but when my fingers start talking I can’t shut them up.

For what it’s worth, this site has also helped me keep focused on my bikes, both the old ’76 FLH and the new SERK.  I thank everyone here for that help and inspiration.

Later dudes and dudettes…

[skyglide]

PART 2

So here it is, the final chapter.

Again I apologize for this length, just bitch slap me!!!!


Dad told me he left Farwell MI on his Harley and headed out to Chicago area to see a friend, about 350 miles.  From Chicago he headed down to W. Virginia to see his sister.  While there he had a flat tire and his brother in-law ordered him a tube and had it delivered to their house.  During that down time my dad painted their house for them.  I can’t imagine it was very large as it was a mining town in the 30’s.  He rode all the way back home to Farwell in two days over roads that were terrible by today’s standards.  The stories he tells just make me wonder how they did it all.

I can’t imagine just taking off on one of those old bikes without much money in your pocket and just going hundreds of miles.

Another time he and a friend took off to Indianapolis to see a buddy.  During their stay in Indy they happened upon the speedway.  He said they were working on the fence and the grounds.  They stopped to have a cigarette and talk to the workers there.  Before they were through talking to the guys, they told dad and his friend to go take a lap or two around the “Brickyard”.  Of course then it was all bricks.

What an adventure back during the depression.

While we were selling Bridgestone motorcycles, a few of my dad’s friends were riding Harleys.  I always thought they were SO huge and one day I would ride one as well.  Back then where we lived there were miles and miles of state land that you could ride on or camp without permits, no stinking ORV stickers…  These guys traded in their Panheads on Sportsters and began to terrorize the state land, but in a good way.  We sold both of them Dunlop trials tires, kind of a cross between knobby tires and aggressive street tires.  One of the guys brought one of the new tires back with about 6” of the tread missing.  We called the distributor and they said to give him a new tire and Albert was off and running.  About a week later he brought back that tire with another 6” missing on that one.  We gave him another new tire but this time dad asked him what he was doing when the tread came off.  He said he was late for work a day each week and was trying to get to work as fast as he could.  There was this really big hill called fire tower hill; DNR had an observation tower on the hill to look for fires (hence the name).  Well he was going down fire tower hill on the mile long down hill slopping side at over 100 on the speedo when he felt a vibration and off went the tread.  He did this two weeks in a row.  Dad said that was his last free tire and he better slow down as these “off road” tires were not meant to run that fast.

Bikes have been a major part of my life.  From time to time during my first life, first wife, I had different bikes, but mostly dirt or street/dirt bikes.  One particular sticks in my mind as a “What the” bike.  It was a KZ900 with a 14” over springer and an Amen hard tail frame.  What was I thinking?  No, I didn’t smoke anything back then.  Then in my second life, second wife, I got back into riding after a few years off.  She is very much into riding and enjoys being the passenger a lot.

So to me when I bought my buddy’s old ’76 FLH it meant two things.  It meant getting back into riding and finally getting a Harley.

To me Harley is adventure, wonderment, nostalgia, all wrapped up in one great package…  Just writing all this and thinking about is giving me goose bumps.

I can’t imagine thinking about a Honda step through giving me that same feeling.

So people……… I’m hooked for good.

It IS hard to explain to someone else how it makes you feel.  All my memories and what my dad has meant to me.  All the mechanical things, bike experiences, his stories, you just can’t explain it properly.

You have to live it I guess.

Yes, I also feel somewhat accepted as a biker when I ride my Harley, but I’m not in some people’s mind a true biker (that Baby Boomer thing).  I’ve always been a biker for the fun of riding, regardless of what I rode.  I’ve had my off years without bikes, but as I said, bikes have always been a big part of me and how I feel.  Having a Harley makes me connect with the past and the present.  I connect with Mr. Davidson and Mr. Harley as they are the inspiration we all come from.

My nephew bought out a sports center in Clare MI a few years ago and they sell Polaris, Ski Doo, Arctic Cat and Kawasaki’s.  He said he could have sold me almost three Vulcan 2000’s for the money I spent on the new SERK.  I guess if had wanted to “just” ride, that would have been good.  But I wanted to ride AND continue the “experience” and to me that only means Harley Davidson.

I’m very sorry if I’ve bored you all with my ramblings and stories, but when my fingers start talking I can’t shut them up.

For what it’s worth, this site has also helped me keep focused on my bikes, both the old ’76 FLH and the new SERK.  I thank everyone here for that help and inspiration.

Later dudes and dudettes…

Good lord tell us what you really think :vrolijk_4:Consider yourself bitched slapped

[hd-dude]

For me riding started on a Honda Trail 70 that I putted around under supervision but it got sold when my Dad came home early from work and found me doing my paper route on it

Through my teens my best friends Dad had a Harley and I always admired his bike. Someday I knew that I would have one.

Moving later in life I was about 22 and my neighbor brought home a 78 Low Rider he picked up. Were sitting out front looking at it when he asked if I wanted to take it for a ride. Hell yes was the answer. The starter didn't work so he said if I could get it started I could ride it. A quick lesson on kick starting and I got her going. (and i only had to pull my heel out of my a$$ once ) Anyway that first ride on the Harley was all it took. I was hooked and had to get a bike and get one soon. So I did and have never looked back

[BAKRDS]

For me it's a combination of wanted one since I was a kid & the buy American thing.It sure isn't for the dealer service,design or quality.I've had every thing from Cushmans to a Zundap,but I've enjoyed the Harleys more than any thing mainly due to the People I've met because of them.Lot more thoughts,but the superbowls on.

[JCZ]

I grew up in the environment.  My first ride....at about 8 yrs. old...was on a Harley.  I'll never forget the big huge seat and of course the smell of burning oil (although I didn't know that's what it was, at that age.....for several years after that, every time I'd smell burning oil I'd say "that smells like a Harley. LOL).  I brought home my first one, a 45, in several boxes.

That was back in 70.  A few years back, I actually bought a used Goldwing (because it was so fast and smooth) but it just wasn't the same......it only lasted a couple of months.  Had to come back home to the Harleys.....

[altugo]

PART 2

I guess if had wanted to “just” ride, that would have been good.  But I wanted to ride AND continue the “experience” and to me that only means Harley Davidson.


That pretty much summerises it 

[REGGAB]

It's good therapy.  Nothing else matters when I ride.  It's my Utopia.  That euphoria I feel when I ride is what makes all the other bullchit insignificant...............and it makes the voices hush.   

[LRebel]

Ok first, I have rode pretty much since I could walk.  I actually can't remember my first ride behind my dad...I've seen the picture, but was too young to remember.  So, I grew up around motorcycles.  And, my dad was not a fair weather rider...we were out when it was freezing cold and pouring down rain (I've got a little softer in my old age ).

I've owned several brands....The usual; Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki, but I have also had Cushman & Puch (sold by Sears back in the 60's)....Street bikes, dirt bikes, and several that wound up somewhere in between after a few mods.

Several years ago I bought a Kawasaki Vulcan.  And, like most jap bike riders, I started pulling everything off the bike that indicated that it was a jap bike...Why do jap riders do that??...Because that have Harley envy.

It has already been said "it is expensive to own a Harley".  It really doesn't make sense to own a Harley...They are expensive - they are not the most technologically advanced scooters - and they are not the most dependable, so the title of this thread is a very fair question to ask.

I have always said, "If you want to be a bear, might as well be a Grizzle Bear".  After doing everything I could do to make the Kawasaki Vulcan look and sound like a Harley, I decided it was time to stop being a poser, bite the bullet and spend the $$$ to own a Harley.  No matter what you do or how much you spend on a jap bike it will never look or sound as good as a Harley.

I am now on my third Harley.  I love the look.  I love the sound.  I love the way a Harley turns heads like no other bike on the road.  Whether I'm riding in a large group or out solo in the middle of nowhere, there is nothing better than the pulse of the big V-twin at your command.  There is nothing like the roar of a Harley motor as you roll the throttle as you go through the gears.  It's like an addiction.  Harley gets in your blood.  Not sure I would ride now if I had to settle for something other than a Harley.

I'm looking forward to owning many more Harleys before I check out.

[MUFFMAN]

To spend money on chrome that otherwise would've went to my children's education.

[Gettinold]

Its a family tradition, had no choice, either ride american steel or GTFO. 

[SEULTRA]

After some thought, I think I've figured out what it is about Harleys that keeps me plunking down $$$$$ for them .... it's a very basic primal Neanderthal thing .. the beat of the V-twin motor. It's like a drum. Kinda like beating on a big old hollow log... and the syncopating rhythm (music and the whole savage beast thing). The chrome is shiny and we all know how things that flash and glitter arouse the curiosity in just about all living things.
So there you have it ... if someone needs to have it explained .... nah! They still wouldn't understand.

[HUBBARD]

1957, Ol' Hub was 6 years old.  My First Cousin, Buddy Foy, bought a new 1957 Pan.  Hoisted me up on the seat, in front of him, and took me for a ride.  That done it.  That sound, Potato.......Potato.........Potato!  I never forgot that sound, and would turn and look every time I heard it.  Still do.  Then, when I saw "Easy Rider", it changed my view about things as they were.  Bought a 1967 XLH Sportster.  It was purple and white, with a big white seat, white saddle bags, and a windshield, all factory.  After I took all that chit off, I'll never forget the feeling of the wind in my face, for the first time, and looking down and seeing "Sportster", on the headlight surround.  Good memories.  Later--HUBBARD