Well, this is an embarassing story but well worth sharing...
As a kid I had a Sears or Wards minibike, my dad would take me out to the country on weekends to ride around on it, after about an hour I was done, maybe a bit too cautious and nervous to really let loose on it and have fun. When I was a teen I had a snowmobile, had tons of fun on it.
Years passed and next thing I knew I was 37, never had owned or ridden on a motorcycle, other than that little minibike. Occasionally I would get the itch to take the motorcylce safety course and look into buying a bike, but I never did. One day I'm talking to my dad and he tells me my uncle just bought a motorcycle, dad thinks he's nuts. After talking to my uncle, I get the bug, I want a motorcycle and I hear that Harleys are the bike to get. So I have my sights set on a Harley, but decide against any motorcycle becuase I don't have any money for one, and wife thinks they're too dangerous. I put motorcycles in the back of my head and don't give them much thought. Well the next year my dad dies suddenly, I am left with some insurance money. So what do I do? I have no idea how to ride a motorcycle, so I take the safety course and get my endorsement. The insurance check shows up in the mail so I'm off to buy a motorcyle, I haven't done any research on what's available, haven't checked out the useed market, just know that I want to buy a Harley. Head to the dealership and decide I want the Sportster Nightster, test drive one and love it, oh shoot they don't have the color I want and I'm not going to wait or go to one of the other hundred or so Harley dealers in the area. So I turn around and see this very sweet looking Dyna Low rider, brand new, glistening and pretty. I test drive it, love it and pay cash. Of course I don't leave the dealership without the official Harley leather jacket, helmet, gloves, boots, and two free harley t-shirts. On the way home I feel all tough and mighty, I'm no longer the 160 pound (most of it beer gut), 5'8", spindly armed dufus, I used to be. I'm a biker!
So I go for a short ride, a little freaked out becuse I'm not used to riding motorcycles, maybe ride twenty miles then head home, show it off to the wife and park it in the garage. Now that I'm a biker, I take the bike out for short trips around the area, maybe leave the house for an hour or two tops. I brag at work about how I got a Harley, I give the little salute to the other Harley guys that I see on the road. One day as I turn into the driveway I forget that the bike has to be moving to turn and I drop it right in front of the house in the middle of the street, my leg is pinned underneath, and being the scrawny guy I am it is almost impossible to get that bike up off of me, but I finally manage after what seems like an eternity. Luckily no one drives by and as far as I know no one saw me. I head into the garage to check for damage, none really to speak of. At lest my Harley gear kept me safe, I would have had a nasty little abrasion on my right hand if I hand't had those gloves on. The rest of the summer, with the short rides only, goes off without a hitch, that whole month went by with me being the king of the hill. Now that it's too cold to ride and snow will soon fall I have the Harley dealership pick up the bike for climate controlled winter storage and a tune up in the spring.
I dream about that bike all winter and even order some upgrades to have the dealer put on in the spring. Spring comes and I choose the option of picking up the bike at the dealership rather than have them deliver it to me. Well now I have ditched the Harley jacket and got me one of those Vanson, hardcore highwayman, jackets (all stiff and shiney). I fit right in at the dealership and proudly ride straight home, have some lunch then head out on the highway, for a big 20 -30 mile ride, then back to the garage and done for the day. The summer goes on like that, short daily rides around the area, safe roads I know, etc. I do go on one long ride with it, about 300 miles round trip, I enjoyed it but got a pretty sore neck having my head bounced around, no windsheild and on the interstate, with the wife and kids in the car behind me.
Within a week or two we have some major bills come due, we weren't prepared at all and could not pay them. Things get more desperate to the point where all I can do to get money is the unthinkable. I sell a two year old Harley with less than three thousand miles on Craigslist for half of what I paid for it to some prick who dosn't really seem to appreciate it and tries to get away with paying even less. I am so desperate to sell that I take a personal check without looking at his ID, getting a phone number, or anything. I have the check in my hand and there goes the bike. I am devastated, I really loved that bike and the image that went with i
A couple of years go by and I now I have three XS 650's, I rebuilt the motor on one and am working on turning it into a bobber as time and money allow, it has been two years and probably another year before I can ride it. The other two will sit until I have money to work on them, they did run but I sold their carbs as I needed the cash to finish the current project. If I had kept at least one set of carbs I could be riding on of those XS's this summer
I'm sure you all know the valuble lessons I learned form this experience. Now when I read these threads about some of the Harley riders, I just laugh. I look forward to riding my bobber XS650 to the ends of the earth.
Lastly, regarding my uncle, he dosn't wear a helmet. I was giving him a bad time about this one day. He just looked at me and said "I'm ready to meet Jesus" then took off into the sunset. Funniest damn thing I've ever experienced. Him on his Vstar, short curly hair, mustache, stone washed denim jeans, leather dress shoes, and the most satisfied look on his face. I love that man, he got me into motorcycles, although I took a very convoluted way of getting to where I am today.
Thanks for reading this long story, there is more to it but I 'm trying to work and type this up, so it rambles a bit. I hope you have a good laugh over it
Sherwin
