The evolution of a biker

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Funny how time changes things and how we change with time.

When I first started riding it was a matter of scrapping together the money I earned mowing grass, de-tasseling corn and trimming Christmas trees. I learned mechanics by keeping the badly used bikes I could afford going after destroying them on the weekends.

I was an avid dirtbiker who wanted to race but it was financially way beyond me. So, my Dad would drop me off every weekend in the spill banks and pick me and my battered bikes up before dark. Many times I had to push them and drag them back to an area he could get to with his truck. Then it was every dime and every minute I had to get them ready for the next weekend.

At 16 I had a child on the way and at 17 I was a Father, working two jobs and doing my best to support a family and finish High School. That ended riding for a while.

At 18 I traded a battered old International pickup for my first street bike, an equally battered 350 Honda and got back to riding for a while till the headlight died going into a offset rural intersection and left the bike broken and me limping for months. Never missed a day’s work over it though. 

I’ve kinda lost track of how many bikes I’ve owned since then, a couple of inline 4’s, a silly ass Hondamatic, a bunch of off-road bikes, a screaming fast V65 that would do 0-60 is 3 seconds flat, a bunch of slower bikes and then the Queen, my Valkyrie, Little Martha.

Over the years I’ve gone from a crazed young kid hill climbing and riding like nothing could kill me to a young “balls to the walls” Hooligan riding street bikes and off road bikes. To a Father with a wonderful young wife who rode her own dirt bike and off-road family rides with Mel and the Kids nearly every weekend. Those were the days of long wheelies on the V65 with Mel on the back pretending to be mad about it. Beautiful, high-speed night rides with Mel’s arms wrapped around me staying just ahead of incoming storms while the leaves and limbs blew across in front of us. During those moments the world seemed full of magic.

Those days included my first long rides. To the coast of South Carolina once and a 7 day Blue Ridge parkway trip with my then young son Joe on the back.
Then it was a few years of responsibility without a bike until we found the Valk.

The Valk opened doors I didn’t know were closed. 500-950 mile days became routine. From long high-speed interstate rides across the country to gravel roads and mountain riding, she could do it all two up with a weeks’ worth of luggage. I didn’t realize the beauty, the spiritualness of watching formally distant lands unroll between my handlebars until we found the Valk.

Somehow, over the years, I’ve went from a crazed 12 year-old with a motorcycle hiding from the police, to a crazed young adult riding like my ass was on fire. To a slightly less crazed Father and Husband who loved fast motorcycles. To a Grandfather who loved exploring local and distant roads, mountains and deserts on the back of a fast touring bike.

That brings me to the present. At 61, I still can’t bring myself to ride a slow motorcycle for any distance. I’ve retired the Valk now and I’m riding an F6B which corners, brakes and rides better than the Valk but isn’t much, if any faster unfortunately. I think she’s fast enough to prevent me from getting bored, but not by much.

I’ve seen the dark side of motorcycling of course, broken bones, bone plates and wound vacs. Injured friends and acquaintances, pools of blood in the road, injured people and crashed bikes. A dead rider under a blanket beside the road once. It doesn’t change a thing, for me, even at 61, riding is life.

Now at 61, I’m learning to use intercoms, on-board music, weather radio, Pandora and I have a new GPS to figure out.
My days of walking with vigor and grace maybe over due to an aging back, I hope not, but they maybe.

But either way, at least for now, the ravages of age go away when I have two wheels under me.
As always, life rocks, enjoy it to the fullest.
 

[Hook#3287]

Great read

Excellent closing sentence.

[hubcapsc]

You can write like a writer! 

-Mike

[..]

 

[DDT (12)]

Frye,

Great story, well written, full of the 'spiritual stuff' about riding that has me hopelessly hooked, as well. It's often said that reward is commensurate with risk... Ours is a risky passion without a doubt... but the rewards...! Oh my!!! Your writing vividly brings that out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

DDT

[Hooter]

Great stuff, hits home for me crept I was a dad at 18. My first long ride was from here to Florida with my cousin after graduation from high school. Learned a bunch on that trip and that a 900 Kaw isn't a tourer. But back then wasn't too concerned.

I to rode dirt bikes that I scavenged parts for. I hurt myself and got up and back at it again even after bustin my ass in the dirt. I grew up poor but I worked my way through high school at a blueberry / pine farm shaking berrys, planting and trimming Xmas trees as well. My first real road bike was that 900 Kaw. It would melt the road. It would also scare the hell outa ya to.

But like you say, I was 6'1" and bullet proof. Never thought too much about a crash. I quit riding for a while to raise a family and missed it. I got into law enforcement / fire service at a very young age. Saw my share of hurt and dead bikers until retirement 2 years ago. Never deterred me from riding. But I took a bunch away from how each accident happened and why. Makes you not get stupid while riding. There is too much of that can bite you anyway.

I did quit riding for about 2 years after my first wife died. After a while I needed something to do that got me away from things. I was always able to clear my head on a bike. I had been (still am) playing bass in classic rock bands since high school. But I quit doing that after my first wife died as well. I went into a funk that was dragging me down. Things had to change. Job pressure, lost my wife, geeze!

One day I was running radar on a busy street. I could hear a bike coming up the hill and he wasn't wasting too much time. He broke the top of the hill at 72 in a 35. Well, I took off after the rider and he pulled over. When I got to the bike and the rider he pulled his full faced helmet off. It was an old friend I hadn't seen in quite a while.

He said, "Bruce, I've been looking all over for you". I just left your office and the chief told me you were up here somewhere running radar. I knew I would find you. I said you sure did! Do you know how fast you were going? He said ya, bout 70.

I shook his hand then I chewed his ass. He then said the reason I shook you out of the bushes is I have a proposition for you. I'm moving to Europe. I can't take my bike with me. I want to give it to you to ride and take care of while I'm there. I will take it back when I get home. Well he never came home. He mailed me the title and gave me the bike. How do you repay that? He died from a heart attack while there. I haven't stopped riding since and still have the bike.

I've owned too many bikes to remember them all. I'm not brand specific and own 3 bikes now. 2 HARLEY'S and the Valkyrie. The bike given to me by my friend was a year old Harley. I have been hurt from the beginning riding dirt bikes. I was in a major bike accident 12 years ago when I was hit in the ass by a truck on the xway. Didn't quit riding after the accident even after being pressured by family to do so.

Riding for me was and still is a release. A bad day can be made easier after about 50 miles. That's why I ride, plus, I like it a bunch. Sorry bout the long story.

[Hook#3287]

Bruce (Hooter) definitely no need to apologize, great story.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I can relate to much in these stories. There is something strangely reassuring in knowing we are not alone. 

[larue]

Beautifully crafted , for a minute I thought I was reading some john Steinbeck 

[Oldfishguy]

Nice piece of work. 

You put into words many of our paths; the  Valk is no ones first bike, but for many it will be the last.

David

[Jess from VA]

Good stories guys.  

I also started out with dirt bikes, and think slipping and sliding and falling off, and running up and down hills is really the best way to learn how to ride and control motorcycles.  Except the only way to learn how to survive the unpredictable cagers in traffic, is to ride in traffic.  Trees hurt when you hit them, but they almost never make a right turn from the left lane.

One of my friend's older brother had a new 440 6-pack Cuda that could beat anything on the planet, but not my DT360 Yamaha for an 8th of a mile.  He wanted a rematch, and I beat him again.  This got me adopted into the the older brother's crowd of guys with fast bikes and cars, and girls.  I was very interested in all three, but had to live with just the cars and bikes.

Soon after I got my CB750 with Vetter fairing, I decided to take it up to a Mt Clemens MI courthouse (to represent the old mother of a longtime neighbor in a land contract dispute).  This was before I learned the usefulness of carrying rain gear.  I wore a jacket and tie and dress slacks and ended up in a toad strangler for a full hour before getting to the courthouse.  I could not have been more soaked if I had jumped in a swimming pool, and as my case was called, I squished water out of my shoes and left a wet trail all the way to the podium.  The judge was having a hard time not laughing (but the rest of the courtroom wasn't).  

Your honor, I apologize for my appearance, but I got caught in the rain on the way here, but I never miss a scheduled appearance.  

The old lady was amazed when we won our case, but was concerned I was going to catch a cold.  

[Gavin_Sons]

 

[bscrive]

These are great stories guys.   

[henry 008]

 

[sheets]

 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Nice piece of work. 

You put into words many of our paths; the  Valk is no ones first bike, but for many it will be the last.

David

Surprisingly, it is more than you realize first bike. I think I've met 3.

[old2soon]

At 73 and coming up on a 1/2 when I do ride I STILL gotta do the ton at least Once on a ride.   And when I am on a road trip at least once during that day hit the ton. I Miss terribly the long distance riding BUT all my body abuses over the years are coming back and takin a big wet juicy bite outa my ass.   Do NOT care How crappy I think I feel when I throw a leg over soon as I let out the clutch and make the right outa my driveway I start gittin betta FAST!   That part that sucks the most is the "adjustments" needed cuz of my "health issues".   BUT I are in FACT still ridin from time to time so no head stone here-yet!                Some years back I was heading back from near Branson Mo. and went I believe left onto another road and did not see the pea gravel-same color as the road surface-til I was in it and the front end wuz washin out. Dabbed the left foot twisted the throttle and stood er back up. At that point in time I hadn't been on a dirt bike in 40+ years. Conditioned response I guess!   Been on and off two wheels fer a bit over 60 years. I STILL love it. RIDE SAFE.

[Wizzard]

63 and i still do not believe in evolution.   Great story and enjoyed it.   

[Savago]

Beautiful story, really well written and an example of what a true rider should aspire for!
 

[Mr Whiskey]

Man, we are definitely Brothers from another Mother!
Good read, roll on

[Pappy!]

Over the years I’ve gone from a crazed young kid hill climbing and riding like nothing could kill me to a young “balls to the walls” Hooligan riding street bikes and off road bikes. To a Father with a wonderful young wife who rode her own dirt bike and off-road family rides with Mel and the Kids nearly every weekend. Those were the days of long wheelies on the V65 with Mel on the back pretending to be mad about it. Beautiful, high-speed night rides with Mel’s arms wrapped around me staying just ahead of incoming storms while the leaves and limbs blew across in front of us. During those moments the world seemed full of magic.

Wow, you have a talent for writing! Great story.

[Mobile Mayor]

O2s, I did the same thing on a CM400 Honda. My first bike. 200 mi when bought, replaced it a year later at 12500 Miles because I wanted a bigger ride.  2nd bike a 78 Yamaha 1100. That bike was reportedly the fastest production street bike of that year, and it was stupid fast, smoking the rear tire and lifting the front end without a problem and blowing off the fastest anything around.  Blew the tranny :uglystupid2:on that one and replaced it with an 82 1200 Venture in 83.  Rode that one hard until wrecked in 95.  Tailgater involved and also left turning cage.  Got hurt bad and stayed off bikes until 2002, then bought a 400 Rebel to put around, but replaced that with a Valk because I wanted her. My friend had bought her damaged by a newbe rider, then got tight for money and offered her to me, already repaired, with about 1500 miles.  I rode the Valk  to 169000 miles when another cage incident got me in a  head on collision in 2014, then in 2015 I bought a 2007 VTX1300. Rode that 'til 2017 when another ass bandit cage helped facilitate a third hospital stay.   In short, I have grown tired of pain, shock, more pain, and the uncertainty of what can happen when you place yourself in the open, so I now drive a miata. It is an adequate for my remaining cycle urges .  The extra metal of a body around mine gives me a feeling of more security while I can still have fun. I still have a motercycle, and I find myself with urges to get back on, but three close brushes with death overcome those urges. So, I think I am better off to now be miataphile, like solo1.  By the way, I am only 67, I just want to live till my 90's.

[The emperor has no clothes]

O2s, I did the same thing on a CM400 Honda. My first bike. 200 mi when bought, replaced it a year later at 12500 Miles because I wanted a bigger ride.  2nd bike a 78 Yamaha 1100. That bike was reportedly the fastest production street bike of that year, and it was stupid fast, smoking the rear tire and lifting the front end without a problem and blowing off the fastest anything around.  Blew the tranny :uglystupid2:on that one and replaced it with an 82 1200 Venture in 83.  Rode that one hard until wrecked in 95.  Tailgater involved and also left turning cage.  Got hurt bad and stayed off bikes until 2002, then bought a 400 Rebel to put around, but replaced that with a Valk because I wanted her. My friend had bought her damaged by a newbe rider, then got tight for money and offered her to me, already repaired, with about 1500 miles.  I rode the Valk  to 169000 miles when another cage incident got me in a  head on collision in 2014, then in 2015 I bought a 2007 VTX1300. Rode that 'til 2017 when another ass bandit cage helped facilitate a third hospital stay.   In short, I have grown tired of pain, shock, more pain, and the uncertainty of what can happen when you place yourself in the open, so I now drive a miata. It is an adequate for my remaining cycle urges .  The extra metal of a body around mine gives me a feeling of more security while I can still have fun. I still have a motercycle, and I find myself with urges to get back on, but three close brushes with death overcome those urges. So, I think I am better off to now be miataphile, like solo1.  By the way, I am only 67, I just want to live till my 90's.

I'm sure I would quit riding also given those circumstances. I didn't ride from 1980-1988 after 2 hospital visits.

[Oss]

Frye I have now read your post several times and like all the best
writings, it seems as good or better each time

Thank you for telling your story

This morning it made my mind and then the rest of me go and look for the album cover from Jesse Colin Young  Love on the Wing which I had not listened to for over 30 years,  like many great riders, you helped us see your journey in our minds eye

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/Y/young_wing.html

Best wishes

Oss

[solo1]

Wow! That was good reading. It gives an inkling of what riding is about to those who ask the question "Why do you Ride?" 

I'm going to roundup my thoughts and try to post how it was for me. I just wish that I wasn't watching and reading about others riding but at my age, it stopped happening.

BTW it was so nice to meet you and Melody!

wayne