06-19-2014, 11:22 AM
I got into bikes through a HS friend of mine in the early 70's. I bought and rode a 71 Yamaha CT175 Enduro, with him, all over the trails of northwestern NJ before I had a drivers license. Got the license, registered the bike, and found out it was too small for the road. Sold it, and my Dad helped me pick out (and pay for) a 70 Kawasaki H1 500. I didn't realize what I was buying, and neither did he. A good thing as you know what a hot rod it was. I took that bike to college in Florida and road with my future wife all over the place. I sold it to buy a car (damn shame...), and then bought a Kawasaki KZ400 in 1975 as a second vehicle. I rode that bike from Florida to NJ one summer and from Florida to Chicago the next. It was a great bike. After I got married, I sold it to buy a 2nd car. Then a year later I bought a 77 Yamaha DT 250 do I could get back in the dirt. Guess what...there's NO dirt in Florida so after washing out a few times in the sand, I sold it in 79 and that was it until 2003. Houses, kids, career, and everything that goes with it kept bikes out of the garage. I flirted buying one each for my son and I when he was about 14 when we lived in Alabama but he was more interested in a go-cart (which we didn't buy) so that was that. In 2003, living now in North Georgia, my wife and I are sitting outside at a Starbucks when some bikes go buy. I looked at my wife....asked her if we could go down to the Harley dealer and just 'look'. I had to have a Harley... I rode a new Sportster home that afternoon and have not looked back. I'm 58 now and look forward to at least another 20-25 years of riding. Rocky is my inspiration... at 77, and he's still at it. I hope I can do that too. I wish I never got away from it.