07-16-2020, 11:09 PM
Sometimes it’s not about what you did on your CB, the photo you took and posted, your day’s ride or what you did on your other bike but what you did to help someone rejoin the sport.
A few weeks ago, I noticed on Facebook that one of my childhood riding buddies who had been living in Illinois recently moved to N.C. and obtained from his friend a bike in WV. He and I grew up about 200 yards from each other. We started out on Lil’ Indian mini-bikes (my father was once a dealer) and progressed from his Suzuki 50 and my Honda Trail 90 to a Suzuki 90 street/trail and Suzuki 125 respectively. I can’t imagine how many hours we spent in the woods behind our houses riding on old strip mine roads. He wrote in my middle school year book that I was a “Honda freak”. I took that as a compliment.
Anyway, I went on to college and he worked at a local funeral before attending seminary school. We kinda lost track over the years until Facebook came along and we reconnected. As I indicated earlier, he spent many years in Chicago area as a minister. I saw some of his posts where he was riding a late 90’s Honda Shadow A.C.E. 750 through the streets of Chicago . He gave this bike to a friend before moving to NC. Ironically, when I got back into cycling after a 10 year hiatus, I purchased the same bike but a different color.
When I saw his initial post about the bike in WV, he was looking for options to get it to N.C. He got several suggestions, such as renting a u-haul or hiring a shipping company. At that point, I curiously asked him what type of bike he purchased. Never got an answer. Time passed.
This past Saturday, I was at a mall in KY waiting on my wife. Got on facebook and messaged him again. He said he still hadn’t gotten it home. When I asked him where it was, he told me it was actually in a town about 30 miles from my house. I told him I’d get back with him shortly.
I called one of my current riding friends, one whom I’ve traveled to 47 states (we have both been to #48 - Texas, but not together) with and told him the situation. I asked what he was doing Tuesday. His response: “Road Trip!”. This same guy and I went to Rockingham to pick up 2 CB1100s in October 2016 and this past January to pick up an ‘18 Goldwing and my ‘19 Monkey.
I called my friend and told him to get it insured and we would bring it to him Tuesday. I told him I needed his address and the location of the bike. We figured we would load the bike Monday night and head out early Tuesday morning.
Sunday passed and no calls. I text him Monday before noon and he said he was still working on it. Monday evening came and no calls. Finally around 7, the owner called (they were actually old friends) and gave me the bike’s
location. It was actually 7.4 miles from my house! I called my riding buddy who lives about ten miles east of the bike. By 8:30 that night, we had the bike loaded. He took it back to his house.
At 5:00 the next morning, we took off to NC. Arrived in my buddy’s N.C. driveway 258 miles and 4.5 hours later.
Needless to say, my old riding buddy was elated when we arrived.
He’s had a history of health problems and is slated for a pacemaker today. His doctor told him he could ride it in the subdivision only until his health improved.
I text him on the way home and said sometime we will ride together again, but not on Suzuki dirt bikes. He responded: “I’ve eaten PLENTY of your dust and mud! We’ll make it asphalt this time”.
Like I said, “Sometimes it’s not about what you did on your CB, the photo you took and posted, your day’s ride or what you did on your other bike but what you did to help someone rejoin the sport”.
P.S. I told him to buy some riding gear...no shorts or loafers.
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