My motivation is similar to this....quit riding in the 70's after a DUI cager almost ended my life. Then one night in 2005 walked into my kids school fund raiser auction and there was a new 2005 black sportster sitting there. There was only two of us bidding on it and when the guy who was bidding against me found out I didn't have a bike and he already had one he quit bidding...so I won. I think it was meant to happen since it was the first time I had ever gone to the auction and the wife made me go.

 

I rode a Lambretta 150 scooter in college in the late 60's then sold it. I got a Honda 550 in '75, then put it in storage in '78 and moved overseas (Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh) for work for 5 years. When I got back I rode for a while but then had to move a couple times for work and went back overseas (Egypt) and sold the bike.

I've been back in the good ole' USA since '96 and recently have gotten the itch to ride. I quit the job where I moved around so much and am settled in upstate South Carolina, near the mountains with great places to ride. I'm not getting any younger, so why not ride while I can. My wife sealed the deal this Christmas with a great gift and I just bought a 2011 Road King. It will be delivered this week; now I need some dry relatively warm weather.

 

My wife was smarter than I was. She knew I wanted to ride again and offered to buy the bike. She kept saying "Harley." and I kept saying "Nope." After sitting on every other brand out there, I finally tried a Dyna. It fit…end of story.

…until this past T'giving, when the wife said "Ultra."

 

It had been 23 years for me too.

Last bike was a 750 Yamaha that was rolled off my patio on Halloween night never to be seen again. I remember making the report and the LEO said it's probably is already parted out.

Somehow I got so wrapped up in my entertainment business that I never really even considered another bike until 3 years ago when I rented a 2008 FLHTCU for a day and took the wife for a ride. Other than the bike being too tall in the saddle for me to touch the ground safely with both feet (lesson learned) the wife enjoyed the adventure.

The wife was 17 when her boyfriend and her rolled into an unmarked intersection on his bike and was hit broadside, which injured her leg. She seemed real skiddish when we first took off for the day but by lunch time we both were enjoying the "thrill" of riding again, especially on a full dresser.

In between I had rode my Dad's 1200 Virago and was amazed by the awsome power over my 750 Yamaha. Also borrowed, and rode the father in laws 650 Suzuki a few times each summer.

Sorry it's getting long ...

Well after taking a days ride with the FLHTCU I went a whole year until I suggested we rent for 2 days and take a trip into northern lower Michigan. We rented a 2009 Street Glide in ******* and left there for Charlevoix, down to Traverse City, then through the tree lined curvies leading to Cross Village. From there Mackinaw City, Cheboygan and back to ******* taking all the back roads and lake's edge routes we could. Again what a thrill to fly through the open air and be so close to nature. We'd stop wherever we could along the way and it just felt so relaxing. Even packing was so easy taking just the essentials in a tote bag and away you go!

Over all these years we've managed to get a little ahead and felt we could afford one of those $3,500 used bikes, even with a little repair work I'm able to do. Then I found the Tour Glide for sale in early spring. It was twice what we wanted to pay, and then required some work to fix small issues. By the end of summer I put about a grand into it.

The wheels never stopped spinning all summer and taking a trip all day,or for several days is how we spent the summer.

My current goals are to tackle a few last items on my bike and spend the summer of 2011 hopefully riding more than wrenching.

 

Quit riding in 1986 when the kids were born.
Back in 2007. I missed alot.
MikeM

 

Gave up riding back in the 70's when me and my Yamaha 650 Special were involved in a accident (Car did a U-turn in an intersection in front of me and I ended up broadsiding the car and flying over it to the pavement) no major injuries and I was able to walk away form it but after that I decided to stop riding.

Fast forward a couple of decades. I had put on quite a bit of weight over the years 430+ and started a weight loss program and one of the motivations I used was that I told myself when I got to 250 pounds I would get back on a bike. Seeing how I had always wanted a Harley when I got down to my first goal I went to my local Harley dealer a bought a 2008 Street Bob.

Here's a before pic of me before I started


And a current pic 200 less pounds on my current ride a 2009 Street Glide.

 

I've been riding for over 50 years and plan to ride until I can't do it anymore... um, ride that is!

 

Stopped riding in the 70's- my passion then was street racing. in '07 suddenly lost an associate to cancer and decided to get back in the saddle while I can!

 

Between Military and family, never realy had the time. Now that I'm retired, and traded the old bag for a new sporty model I'm loving it.

 

Sold my magazine cover bike in 99 to buy a house and took 9 years to buy my 08 FLHX, the other guys in my new neighborhood were killing me every Sat & Sun morn.