My two wheel adventures, where they began.  

Some where around 1960-1962 my father bought me a little imported moped that I'd been talking/hinting, etc for for a very long time. I think partially it was to shut me up.  That's where this story begins. 

Wasn't much of a bike, but it ran, it was smokey (2-cycle motor) and loud, and fun !  Spent the whole Summer that year learning to ride it, and exploring my neighborhood. At that time we lived on the edge of Decatur, IL in a area that was not yet overly developed so there were lots of up and down twisty gravel farm roads to explore. I did.  

That started the journey I'm still on. Next bike was a little 50 cc Honda and then a 175, followed by a 350, and then a Kawasaki KZ-750 from 1978.  

Everything bike-related took a hiatus when I got into college and then moved to the suburbs of Chicago with my first job.  But the liking of motorcycles was still there, just a little buried for awhile.  And sure enough, once I got transferred with the job to Memphis in about 1975, it came back.  It was in Memphis one day I found a bike shop and just had to wander in and look.  I purchased a Honda 175 and shortly thereafter swapped it for a 350 seen above.  Went back to exploring Memphis country roads, rode it south to Sardis MS where there was a nice lake and generally had a great time.  But then it was time to get a larger "real' bike. 

Went shopping again and found a 1978 Kawasaki KZ-750.This was the bike that opened up the whole riding experience for me. It was as comfy on a county road as it was on the Interstate and  changed everything. It also taught me how to ride daylong and also ride in the rain. The one shown is similar to the one I owned. 

 Eventually I ended up in Springfield after a series of personal disasters, but managed to hang onto the bike for awhile longer.  But due to lots of mistakes and problems on my part, had to  finally dispose of the bike around the mid 1980's. That hurt. But so much other crap was going on in my life at the time, was too involved in other issues to worry about it. 

Took awhile, but eventually got my life back, settled into middle-age and pretty much forgot about motorcycles.  

One sunny weekend day a bunch of years later, probably around 2000 or so my step-son arrived at the door driving a nice 750 Yamaha he'd gotten from a friend.  They had ridden over from his home to show his mother and me his new acquisition.  He remembered I'd had a bike a lot of years ago and just off-handily asked if I wanted to take a ride.  Been a long time since I'd ridden and was a bit apprehensive, but  finally they coaxed me into it.  Damn ! 

 A jerky start-off, a missed shift, and I was off. Figured I'd just go around our block and be done. Nope, one block turned into a few more and eventually I got back to the house.  Eventually.  Never was back on that bike, nor any others, and a few years passed before I got back to even thinking more about it.  

Sometime about 2006 I was sitting in a nice office chair, eating lunch at the desk and surfing the 'net courtesy of my employer , the State.  Our computer department (BIP) had not yet totally locked down the 'net and I was still able to access youtube.  Just surfing while eating a sandwich and stumbled on a video that changed everything. 

  

In case you get the loading symbol on the video and it lasts, after about 10-15 seconds click it and it should start up ok. 

Watched that one a few times in the next week and looked at some more of the "suggested" videos it brought up. I have no idea who these folks are, but they changed my life !

Some weeks later I decided on my lunch hour to go look at a local motorcycle dealer not far from the office.  I had not set foot in a motorcycle shop since I'd bought that KZ in Memphis , probably about 20 years before.  As is said, the die was cast.  Did not go in looking to buy a bike, just wanted to look around. The salesman left me along to wander and told me to get him if any questions. So I was looking and this Honda 750 caught my eye, the color was good, and it just exuded attitude. 

A few weeks later, came home with that 750 Honda. 

My wife at the time had a love/hate relationship with this machine, and things started going bad very soon.  Hung on for a few more years, but eventually parted company with both of them . 

I had some good times with that bike, in spite of the arguments and associated BS.  But after a few years I figured out I wanted something with more power and size. But too much of my life was in the process of heading for the courts at that time. 

After all the personal stuff was behind me, I swapped the Honda for a life-changing 1998 Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan.  And with that I found VROC.  And I had also found someone who has changed my life in so many ways. Her name is Hang (pronounced Han).

So after about 60 years I discovered motorcycle road trips, VROC rally's, BBQ,  and plan on a few more of each..  

My very first "real " road trip was a River Road trip north along the Mississippi from Dubuque, IA to Red Wing, MN. That definitely whetted the appetite for more. Stayed in Lacrosse and enjoyed the river drives, both north and south, on both sides of the river.  This was my first week -long motorcycle journey. I did learn a lot that has come in handy since. One was how to pack ! Another was never pass on a opportunity to get gas. Almost found that out the hard way a few years later on a Crow reservation in Montana. Fumes in the tank. 

After retirement in 2010,  one day Hang and I decided to take a trip to my favorite bike shop in Litchfield, Niehaus Cycle for a look-around.  I found a 2000 Goldwing that she "convinced" me I should reward myself with as a retirement present !  I did and put a lot of miles on that bike and got to meet some great folks, and see some wonderful places. I'm still doing so. Just got back in July from a trip around Lake Superior into Canada. First out-of-the-country-bike-trip. Hopefully not the last. Found out I enjoy gravy on french fries the same way I like it with  biscuits ! Thank Jim "Skid" Robinson for that learning experience. 

I now have what I'm considering as my last big bike.  After this I may go with a trike or a scooter, but something. I'd put 100k on the first Goldwing and then found this 2001 that only had about 48k and could not pass up the opportunity.  Been very happy with it. It proved it self a great road bike on the Canada trip and zero issues. Comfortable, stable, rain or dry, and power to spare. 

I owe a great deal to both Hang for helping me get my life back on track and the support she has given me, and to a group of folks (VROC)  that in a very short time have become "family" to both of us. VROC provides friendships that surprised me initially and now mean a great deal to both of us. Truly are "family".  Hang has helped me recover some aspects of myself that I'd misplaced for too long.  Wasn't a journey I wish to ever repeat. 

Couple more bikes not mentioned above included a 1300 VTX and a 1300 Yamaha. These were owned  for such a short time as to be uneventful. They had one thing in common, they weren't Goldwings. No problems with either one, and they handled well, rode fine and no issues, but I have/had gotten used to the ride a Goldwing provides. 

It's 2019 and I have no plans to stop riding anytime soon. Matter of fact I'm already busy planning next years big trip to Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. 

See ya all.

Trip Links:

Lake Superior Trip