This seems a weird time to start a blog with a motorcycle theme, since the weather really prohibits much riding. That being said, maybe it makes even more sense — I can't ride, so why not write about riding for now?
I got my first motorcycle this fall. It's a 1998 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, My dad has a 2001 Road King Classic he bought new after owning a Sportster for about four years. For awhile, he had both bikes. I went on a few rides with him and loved it.
I had grown up riding off-road motorcycles, but getting on a street bike was a totally different experience. Riding on a road became a totally new experience. Suddenly, it was a total sensory experience. The view was wider and uninterrupted. You could feel the temperature and humidity fluctuations, passing through spaces that felt warm and sticky and others that felt like chilled blasts of air. The smells and tastes of sweet hay and dusty asphalt swirled around every bend in the road. And, of course, there was the droning rumble of a V-Twin below you.
So, I lusted after a bike for five years. With each new job, promotion or salary raise, I would dream the time had come. But, there were always bills to pay and other debts to attend to, and it didn't seem like the right thing to do. All this time, my dad would casually mention to me this deal or that steal he saw in the Thrifty Nickel classifieds or at some bike show. Finally, I started getting serious about looking.
I knew I didn't want a Sporty; I'm 6'4" and 220 pounds and there's no way a small frame like that could be comfortable for the longer rides I really wanted to make. So, I watched closely and searched all the Thrifty Nickels, newspaper classifieds and online postings throughout the state an in surrounding states. Finding the kind of bike I wanted that was under $10,000 and no more than 10 years old was harder than you might think.
I finally found the right bike in Park City, Utah. This was the year Harley introduced the new Twin Cam 96 and the six-speed transmission. A lot of riders were aching to make the move, and the guy I bought my bike from was no exception. He was the second owner; a buddy of his was the original owner. The original owner had outfitted the bike for cruising, which included a Screaming Eagle carburetor kit, Vance & Heinz exhaust pipes, saddlebags, floorboards, highway pegs, a high windshield, a sissy bar and a luggage rack. It was well-maintained and I was happy to give it a new home. The owner was kind enough to trailer it up to my home in Pocatello a week later.
Almost every possible day I could ride since I got the bike, I did. Rain and cold did little to stop me, and I didn't give up riding for the year until the day after Thanksgiving when I took the 50-mile ride from my parents' home in Idaho Falls. I rode it to work and home. Then I took my wife for rides, or went on rides on my own. On the weekends, I would try to get up to Idaho Falls to see my Dad. We got two half-day rides in before the weather turned. It didn't really matter to me, as long as I was on the bike.
I've enjoyed getting all the gear together, too. I've had a few leather jackets, including a couple of nice riding ones. I already had a pair of leather gloves. So, I bought some nice harness-style motorcycle boots, a pair of leather chaps and a pair of goggles with a set of interchangeable lenses. I borrowed one of my dad's motorcycle helmets for a while (wearing a helmet was a condition my wife imposed on me if I wanted a bike, and it seemed a reasonable one) until I could order one I liked. So, now I've got all the riding gear I need. I'm working on outfitting Kacee (my wife). She has a helmet. She has a worn pair of my old leather gloves and a pair of boots that work for now. I ordered a jacket for her birthday (still waiting for it on back order) and she asked for chaps for Christmas (she got them). So, we're making progress for her, too.
One of the things I've loved that I didn't anticipate was getting some chrome for my bike. I like the Fat Boy logo, so I watched the clearance tables at area Harley shops and did some eBay searches. I got the Fat Boy logo visors for my taillight, head lamp and turning lamps. For Christmas, I got a luggage pack (similar to a T-bag). Now, I'd like to get some trim for the front and rear trim. I have some nice handle grips the previous owner put on, too. So, I'm also looking for new mirrors, possibly, and maybe a new tank panel cover. Kacee would like some passenger footboards (the pegs make her feet sore after a while).
So, I'm off to a good start. I've got a great bike and the gear has come together quickly. As soon as winter starts to pass, I'll get a full service and replace the balding rear tire. I've got at least two big trips I'd like to do next year — a rally in Sturgis or Laughlin (probably Laughlin), and something along Route 66.
I'm sure there will be plenty more to right about, but I think this paints a good background to start. I've got a lot of miles to put on the bike still before I think anyone outside my immediate family and friends can take me as serious of a rider as I feel.
