06-20-2014, 01:22 AM
My story is a bit different. I haven't had a bad accident that caused me to give up riding. I did have a run in with immaturity however, that I feel I was lucky to survive.
I grew up with dirt bikes as a kid. My dad loved motorcycles so it was no surprise that I would want to experience them as well. My mom on the other hand wasn't such a fan. Before I was ever allowed to have a dirt bike, she made me promise that I would never ride a street bike. I didn't have too much trouble keeping that promise — as I grew older, I found motorcycles less appealing overall. I still noticed bikes, but they just didn't do much for me. In 1988, I had my first decent job after school and was living in Dallas. That's when Honda released the Hawk GT. I found myself back inside a Honda shop for the first time in years (even though the dealer was located just a few blocks from my apartment). The Hawk was even more seductive in person.
I hadn't forgotten my promise to my mom, but this bike was so tempting that I went ahead and filled out all of the paperwork. Then in a rare moment of maturity during that time in my life, I decided to sleep on the decision. I don't think I could recall how I got home the next morning which unfortunately was not totally uncommon for me back then as I tended to drink way too much. That was the point when I decided that my life was a bit of a mess and I couldn't allow myself to hop back on a bike. You think that I would give up partying, but it got to the point that I had to call a cab to scour the streets trying to retrace my steps and figure out where my truck was. It was a miracle that I never hurt myself or anyone else for that matter. A motorcycle would not have been a wise addition to the equation.
Years passed and I managed not to totally screw up my life. I met a wonderful woman (who became my wife) and had no regrets over my decisions. But over time, I did think more and more about motorcycles and I definitely never forgot the Hawk. I've told the story elsewhere on this forum how my wife, who wasn't a fan of motorcycles, attended a buddhist meditation retreat and come home saying that she no longer felt it was right to forbid me from owning a motorcycle. Later that year (2007), I found myself in Seattle picking up a blue Hawk GT just like the one I was mesmerized by in the Honda shop all those years ago. I've been riding ever since, and I find it to be most enjoyable. The funny thing is that after owning the Hawk for a while, I called my mom to catch up and decided I'd tell her about my purchase. After revealing my big secret, she laughed and said that she knew that I wouldn't be able to keep that promise for my entire life.
I will say that getting back on a motorcycle again felt totally natural, but riding on the street after never doing so felt a bit more unfamiliar than I had expected. Now I commute to work by bike daily and am at home on the street, but man, you can never let your guard down. It's a good way to clear the mind (of which I'm glad that I still have one after surviving my youth).
I grew up with dirt bikes as a kid. My dad loved motorcycles so it was no surprise that I would want to experience them as well. My mom on the other hand wasn't such a fan. Before I was ever allowed to have a dirt bike, she made me promise that I would never ride a street bike. I didn't have too much trouble keeping that promise — as I grew older, I found motorcycles less appealing overall. I still noticed bikes, but they just didn't do much for me. In 1988, I had my first decent job after school and was living in Dallas. That's when Honda released the Hawk GT. I found myself back inside a Honda shop for the first time in years (even though the dealer was located just a few blocks from my apartment). The Hawk was even more seductive in person.
I hadn't forgotten my promise to my mom, but this bike was so tempting that I went ahead and filled out all of the paperwork. Then in a rare moment of maturity during that time in my life, I decided to sleep on the decision. I don't think I could recall how I got home the next morning which unfortunately was not totally uncommon for me back then as I tended to drink way too much. That was the point when I decided that my life was a bit of a mess and I couldn't allow myself to hop back on a bike. You think that I would give up partying, but it got to the point that I had to call a cab to scour the streets trying to retrace my steps and figure out where my truck was. It was a miracle that I never hurt myself or anyone else for that matter. A motorcycle would not have been a wise addition to the equation.
Years passed and I managed not to totally screw up my life. I met a wonderful woman (who became my wife) and had no regrets over my decisions. But over time, I did think more and more about motorcycles and I definitely never forgot the Hawk. I've told the story elsewhere on this forum how my wife, who wasn't a fan of motorcycles, attended a buddhist meditation retreat and come home saying that she no longer felt it was right to forbid me from owning a motorcycle. Later that year (2007), I found myself in Seattle picking up a blue Hawk GT just like the one I was mesmerized by in the Honda shop all those years ago. I've been riding ever since, and I find it to be most enjoyable. The funny thing is that after owning the Hawk for a while, I called my mom to catch up and decided I'd tell her about my purchase. After revealing my big secret, she laughed and said that she knew that I wouldn't be able to keep that promise for my entire life.
I will say that getting back on a motorcycle again felt totally natural, but riding on the street after never doing so felt a bit more unfamiliar than I had expected. Now I commute to work by bike daily and am at home on the street, but man, you can never let your guard down. It's a good way to clear the mind (of which I'm glad that I still have one after surviving my youth).