I am one lucky guy

I am disabled due to spinal chord issues and after surgery last year I've had severe neuromuscular deterioration. I have a 2K I/S that has become almost to hard to ride in all but expressway riding. So I got a 98 standard as it is far less "clumsy" in around town riding. I started to lighten it and make it more handicapped friendly by removeing the sissy bar, replacing the seat with a saddlemen seat (reputed to be the lowest on the market), and replacing the shocks with 11 1/2 inch Progressives.

During this last winter I started to make some more modifications that reflect my need to have a more practical bike and I one that makes a statement about my personal attitude towards my condition. I have a need to prove that I will not give up and I'd want to "thumb my nose" at convention.

I always loved Bobbers and Rat Rods. I like bikes without chrome and unusual finishes. I love Old Skool pinstripes and black suede paint jobs. I like my vehicles to have an "Bad Azz" attitude. Performance is a requirement but big bucks are not.

So to that end I found a duo of painter and pinstriper (both in their 70's) that understood my vision of what I wanted in a practical paint job that was "tough" in durability and in looks. It now has a VTX C front fender and the paint is now a very low luster black paint with silver and magenta pinstripes. The wheels are powdercoated with a "Dark Rasberry Matte" finish. The headlight, handlebars, fender struts, valve covers, timing belt cover and cam end covers were also powdercoated gloss black.

The radiator has a "skull and cross-bones" grille, the reservoir covers are black powdercoated, the tail-light is smoke tinted, the turn signals are integrated into the tail light and the fronts are mini ovals. The motor now has the "simple ECT mod", polished intake tubes, I/S carb springs, Cobra 6 into 6 pipes, and the a tank spacer.

But what makes all this possible is.......my wife. Yes my wife; she is a rider and a VRCC member. She is as enthusiastic as any biker wife could ever be. She is always ready to ride and she understands that I have special needs because of my disabilities. She wants me to ride because she rides, and we are as happy riding together as any couple could get. However today even she astounded me by getting on the garage floor and grabing wrenches and helping me assemble my bike. She is ready to get dirt under her fingernails (even the ones that she broke!). She got grease on her jeans and her hair was messed up and I couldn't help but to think how lucky I really am.