Why I have a 15 SGS?
#1
10-29-2017, 01:20 PM
Why I have a 15 SGS?
Not much activity in this section...but I think this is more for me to write than others to read...
I have my particular bike because I bought it from the widow of my closest friend.
I miss my best friend. I knew him since I was in single digits. The brother I never had, about 14 months older than I, we grew up and older together. First Playboy, cigarette, beer, shot, joint, etc. all happened with the help of my older brother.In some ways his life was a preview of my own. I always wanted to be cool like he was in my eyes.
He test rode my first bike for me a KZ750. It passed and I bought. He taught me to ride and I passed, barely passed, but passed. He upped the ante and bought a GPZ 750. I picked up a Honda Interceptor. Our early year Sundays were him on his GPZ750 and me on my 84 Honda 750 Interceptor. I vividly remember the time he was in front of me, goosed the throttle a bit to slide the rear in the turn and I mimicked what he had done. Felt like my heart would come thru my chest. I still ride that turn on occasion and relish the memory.
Life took its chaotic course and bikes faded to memories. Highs and drunks and heartaches - Best man at his wedding, godfather to his first born son. The funerals of this older brother, both sets of our parents, his wife's early heart attack..
We both did the Corvette thing for awhile.. Me a 99 Silver C5 Coupe, with heads and cam 6spd, him a Silver 77 Stingray...I use to taunt him ... I could beat him in a drag with 2 spark plug wires tied behind my back. We drove each others cars and shared life - Football, Sundays, BBQ's My wife never planned anything on Sunday - she knew I would be hangin with my bro..
He got us started back into bikes ... Bought a Titian, I followed suit with an Ironhorse Ranger.. Different than the sport bikes of our youth but it was great to get the wind in our faces. Sunday was a bro's before hoe's day...
He upgraded to a 03 Big Dog Pit Bull with a 240 tire. I had to top him bought a new 05 American Ironhorse Lone Star Chopper with a 280 tire. We were stylin bad ***, but the rides got shorter with the years, a hard tail is a young man's bike.
It was in early July of 15, he showed up at the house on a 15 SGS Black Denim. At first the bs was he had rented for the weekend, but he fessed up that he had traded the vette and Big Dog on the bike, when I questioned the low mileage on a 15 rental in the middle of 2015.
"Oh No" quipped my wife,
"Now you will have to have a new bike." She was right. I started to research how to make my 6"4" frame fit on a new Harley.
My buddy had struggled a bit backing out of the driveway. He said it was the heat and the weight of touring bike. I called his wife. She had noticed a difference in his balance and motor skills. She was concerned that perhaps he had had a stroke.
The following Friday, she took my Dr. hatin bro to the ER, the diagnosis was brain cancer of the worst kind. Chemo and brain surgery took a toll. I bought him a battery tender and a heel shift eliminator for his new bike for Christmas, I was gonna buy in the spring. He was gonna beat this ****, there were many miles to go and much to see. He was 55 years old.
The bike sat in the garage. Ridden twice, home from the dealer and out to show me and another occasional riding buddy. The heel shifter its only MOD and 42 miles on the odometer.
In January an MRI showed it was back, now in inoperable places and in his spine. My Sunday visits became less frequent too often ending in tears in my car or throwing up along side of his house. It was painful to watch my best friend lose the battle. We couldn't BS anymore about where we would ride or mods to our bikes, it had to end badly. An experimental treatment, couldn't stop the train. He passed in late March of 16- about 8 months from being diagnosed.
The widow offered me his bike. I wanted it but she needed as much as she could price wise, as the fight came with huge medical bill and funeral costs that strained a paycheck to paycheck family. She tried a couple friends of friends but no one had the cash or credit to buy. She didn't want lowballs from creepy Craig's List tire kickers. The stealership offered a generous $16k for his bike with 42 miles. She was running out of options, making bike payments and insurance coverage on a bike that sat in the garage. My chopper wasn't selling.
Around late June 16 we reached a price that we could live with - a decent deal for both of us and we both knew her husband would want me to have it.
Many mods in the first year, some I'm sure my buddy wouldn't approve of, many he would have loved to have done. I'm grateful that I ride a bike that my brother from another mother picked out.
I cherish our bike and my memories, neither will ever be replaced...
Most Sundays now are with my OL on the back, I love her, but it still doesn't fill the hole. Once in a blue moon I can get the widow out for a ride. She claims to enjoy it - we both know it feels like the right bike, but the wrong guy.
I turned 55 this past September. Things don't always work out as we plan or hope. I carry my best friend with me. He played a big part in shaping who I am today. It was a once in a lifetime friendship... that taught me above all else - Be grateful for everyday.
Enjoy the ride...
I have my particular bike because I bought it from the widow of my closest friend.
I miss my best friend. I knew him since I was in single digits. The brother I never had, about 14 months older than I, we grew up and older together. First Playboy, cigarette, beer, shot, joint, etc. all happened with the help of my older brother.In some ways his life was a preview of my own. I always wanted to be cool like he was in my eyes.
He test rode my first bike for me a KZ750. It passed and I bought. He taught me to ride and I passed, barely passed, but passed. He upped the ante and bought a GPZ 750. I picked up a Honda Interceptor. Our early year Sundays were him on his GPZ750 and me on my 84 Honda 750 Interceptor. I vividly remember the time he was in front of me, goosed the throttle a bit to slide the rear in the turn and I mimicked what he had done. Felt like my heart would come thru my chest. I still ride that turn on occasion and relish the memory.
Life took its chaotic course and bikes faded to memories. Highs and drunks and heartaches - Best man at his wedding, godfather to his first born son. The funerals of this older brother, both sets of our parents, his wife's early heart attack..
We both did the Corvette thing for awhile.. Me a 99 Silver C5 Coupe, with heads and cam 6spd, him a Silver 77 Stingray...I use to taunt him ... I could beat him in a drag with 2 spark plug wires tied behind my back. We drove each others cars and shared life - Football, Sundays, BBQ's My wife never planned anything on Sunday - she knew I would be hangin with my bro..
He got us started back into bikes ... Bought a Titian, I followed suit with an Ironhorse Ranger.. Different than the sport bikes of our youth but it was great to get the wind in our faces. Sunday was a bro's before hoe's day...
He upgraded to a 03 Big Dog Pit Bull with a 240 tire. I had to top him bought a new 05 American Ironhorse Lone Star Chopper with a 280 tire. We were stylin bad ***, but the rides got shorter with the years, a hard tail is a young man's bike.
It was in early July of 15, he showed up at the house on a 15 SGS Black Denim. At first the bs was he had rented for the weekend, but he fessed up that he had traded the vette and Big Dog on the bike, when I questioned the low mileage on a 15 rental in the middle of 2015.
"Oh No" quipped my wife,
"Now you will have to have a new bike." She was right. I started to research how to make my 6"4" frame fit on a new Harley.
My buddy had struggled a bit backing out of the driveway. He said it was the heat and the weight of touring bike. I called his wife. She had noticed a difference in his balance and motor skills. She was concerned that perhaps he had had a stroke.
The following Friday, she took my Dr. hatin bro to the ER, the diagnosis was brain cancer of the worst kind. Chemo and brain surgery took a toll. I bought him a battery tender and a heel shift eliminator for his new bike for Christmas, I was gonna buy in the spring. He was gonna beat this ****, there were many miles to go and much to see. He was 55 years old.
The bike sat in the garage. Ridden twice, home from the dealer and out to show me and another occasional riding buddy. The heel shifter its only MOD and 42 miles on the odometer.
In January an MRI showed it was back, now in inoperable places and in his spine. My Sunday visits became less frequent too often ending in tears in my car or throwing up along side of his house. It was painful to watch my best friend lose the battle. We couldn't BS anymore about where we would ride or mods to our bikes, it had to end badly. An experimental treatment, couldn't stop the train. He passed in late March of 16- about 8 months from being diagnosed.
The widow offered me his bike. I wanted it but she needed as much as she could price wise, as the fight came with huge medical bill and funeral costs that strained a paycheck to paycheck family. She tried a couple friends of friends but no one had the cash or credit to buy. She didn't want lowballs from creepy Craig's List tire kickers. The stealership offered a generous $16k for his bike with 42 miles. She was running out of options, making bike payments and insurance coverage on a bike that sat in the garage. My chopper wasn't selling.
Around late June 16 we reached a price that we could live with - a decent deal for both of us and we both knew her husband would want me to have it.
Many mods in the first year, some I'm sure my buddy wouldn't approve of, many he would have loved to have done. I'm grateful that I ride a bike that my brother from another mother picked out.
I cherish our bike and my memories, neither will ever be replaced...
Most Sundays now are with my OL on the back, I love her, but it still doesn't fill the hole. Once in a blue moon I can get the widow out for a ride. She claims to enjoy it - we both know it feels like the right bike, but the wrong guy.
I turned 55 this past September. Things don't always work out as we plan or hope. I carry my best friend with me. He played a big part in shaping who I am today. It was a once in a lifetime friendship... that taught me above all else - Be grateful for everyday.
Enjoy the ride...
Last edited by No U Glider; 10-29-2017 at 01:29 PM.
#4
11-07-2017, 05:23 PM
Big Kahuna HDF Member
A nice but very sad story. I've lost friend from my past but maybe luckily, we lost contact with each other over the years. I say luckily because I didn't see them go. I know when I found out, they were all I could think about for a long time. Besides, I'm not one to go to funerals. I don't like to think of them and have that mental picture pop up.
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