When back in Ohio a week ago, I took my brothers bike for a ride and then we just sat around later with a few of his friends shooting the ****. Then this came up, how many miles we put down this year and our most memorable ride. This was the best riding season I have had in a long time including going all the way back to when I had my 97 Heritage Classic. I know there are guys who ride all year so they don't technically have a "riding season" and I know there are guys who put down a ton of miles every year. I can only imagine the comments I am going to get.

I have said before I work swing 12's with tons of O.T. This past summer was the most I have rode in a long time. I put down a whopping 2,216 miles! Those were all put on by me too, My Son wasn't allowed to ride it this past summer and he is the ONLY one who gets to ride it besides myself and my INDY guy who happens to be a close friend too. I also know guys ride back and forth to work all the time too. I don't because we have cooling towers all over and when the wind blows or changes direction you get the overspray off of those cooling towers all over your vehicle and they are caustic to help keep them clean.

My most memorable moment or ride would have been the night I had no passenger seat on but it didn't bother or stop these 2 chicks at the bar at closing time one night. 1 sat on the fender, 1 sat on the luggage rack back to my house and the party continued there. THEN came that DAMN DEER!! That, by far, is something I will never forget and something I hope never happens again. That changed how, where and when I will ride this time of year when all the farm equipment are out in the fields stirring up Deer. I still say I got SO lucky, skill had nothing to do with it. There wasn't time to use skill, it was there and over in the blink of an eye. Some might say or think, Hmmm 2 girls or hitting a Deer, which is most memorable? And all might say theres no choice to that one, the 2 girls of course! I say hit a Deer going 50, 55 miles and hour then come tell me which is more memorable!!! It would be fun hearing from everyone on both miles and memories for 2013.

Side note: I also met some very good people this past summer too. 1 or 2 of them could end up being life long friends.

 

I would have to say the day I picked up my first harley brand new Sporster . I started paying on it some time in sept 67 I was seventeen years old I was putting money on it every week from then until lit came in I paid 1650 dollars brand new,at the time it arrived I owed 600 dollars and it was march 1968 . I had only ridden a harley once before back in sept it was now march ice was still on the ground I bobbed and weaves all the way home and then my second problem I had no where to keep it it ended up in my bed room for a week before I was able to rent a garage around the corner that would have to be the day I will never forget I was 18 when the bike came in brand new Sporster ice on the ground and no where to keep it. There were other great rides when I was the youngest riding with the local club just before it became a club but this is my number one.

 

I bought a brand new 1975 Super Glide. I think by time I rolled it off the showroom floor and out onto the street it was 3200.00, ain't that something?

 

In June I jumped ship from a solo seat custom bobber to a 2013 Hard Candy Deluxe and I'd have to say my most memorable ride was the ride from Allentown PA to Ocean City MD for bike week. Rather uneventful superslab ride but it was my wife's first long distance (little over 200 miles one way) and it was the point where she really "got it" and became a Harley addict. We even had to ride through Phili during a rainy freezing rush hour and she loved it. Up until I got my Deluxe, she had never been on a motorcycle. Now she wants to ride more than I do! We plan to do Laconia in 2014 and once our three kids get a little older, we plan to ride to the big one out west.

It gave us another common interest and now she even has her own bike and will start learning in the spring once I get it put back together.

 

Those were the days…..

In May of 1978, my 1978 FXS Lowrider was $4345.00……

I have to admit, that was a lot of money back then……

I'd buy a stock '78 FXS for $4300 today without a moments hesitation though… I loved that bike!

 

I generally find peace with the thumping of a V-twin heart. About 3 weeks ago, my folks came to visit. They're a good distance away, so I see them about once a year. My dad's sick, waiting for a transplant. Kidneys are shot. Things were different this visit - he's kind of trying to make his peace. Though the visit was great, it affected me a LOT, and, after they left, I just got angry and sad. Weather was around 40, grey, and just pretty still. I threw on a jacket, my colors, and hopped on the Slim. Somewhere between 110 mph and 10 miles down the road, I started to find some decent head space. Nice ride all through a state park, lots of back farm roads, a few Amish buggies, and then found myself (about 120 miles, 2.5 hours later and well within the legal speed limit) pulling into my MC's clubhouse. A few of my brothers and some of their wives were out catching the tail end of the football game. Tension was gone, my knees and knuckles were frozen, but I felt nothin' but love when I got there.

I remember bits of the ride, but mostly the open air, nature, and just letting stuff go. I remember the solitude. I remember the tension just melting away.

I fuggin' LOVE riding... sometimes to get lost, sometimes to find myself. Sometimes they're the same thing.

 

Turning 40 around Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia, NH this September. It was a weird riding year for me, the most days I have ever been riding but the least amount of miles, so far... I just wne on a bunch of night rides and not many weekend trips at all. Gotta be less than 5000 altogether.

 

Daytona. The highlight for me was getting a 2012 Fatboy Lo. As far as rides, it was Bike Week and Biketoberfest. Been doing it for years and never get tired of it.

Course, I live in Florida and my riding season is pretty much year round. Always wanted to go to Sturgis. Maybe this next year.

 

I lost my Dad a few years back Ragnar so I can relate. Things were never good between us and nearly all of that was my fault. I was lucky enough to have had the time to "grow up" before he passed away and we made our peace and I made it clear I loved him before he passed. Theres never a good time but take the time to make it good. I will include your Dad and yourself when I say my daily prayers today.

 

Thanks, brother!

Despite the distance, we talk often - usually 3 or 4 times a week. I don't know that everything is always good between father and son for any two men, but we've found love, respect, and understanding. I'm finding that this holiday season is bringing a lot of soul searching and reaching out in new ways for me this year. Bit of growing up, even at 43, right?

I'm sorry for your loss, too. It's never easy.