Two wheels are the best way to get around. It would be a whole lot safer if anything with more than 3 wheels were banned from the roads!

Started riding a long, long time ago. My first experience on a 2 wheeler powered by an engine was a bicycle with a small 2 cycle engine that my dad made - I was hooked. Next up was an old Vespa - one of the very early ones. It was a blast - until he started checking the odometer and realized miles were being added when he was at work..... wasn't happy about that - think it had something to do with not yet having a driver's license. After a few weeks of being "grounded", decided I had to figure out how to disconnect the odometer and how to bypass the ignition switch (real easy). I was happy for many months - until I forgot to refill the gas tank and reconnect the odometer...... The good news is that it was less than 2 years before I had my DL and was able to be "legal" - and bought an old Honda that had "real" tires. I had learned the hard way that the tiny Vespa tires had a very small contact patch and when leaning a bit while accelerating through a turn in the rain was not good (lucky no damage and I already knew it was wise to have the right gear on. Had to have "real" tires (and more ground clearance, and a bigger engine, etc...... you know how it goes.

In 1969 I bought a brand new Yamaha 250 - red and white - and it rode like a dream. It only took a week to get past the first scratch panic - lucky it was only a very minor ding and a mirror that was easy to replace. My "thing" for hard bags started then - yep, added hard bags to it. Stronger, could be locked, carried more, stayed dry, didn't sag. Those along with a luggage rack made it more of a "touring" bike - which I ended up doing a 500 mile round trip every weekend for 8 months (a service connected "opportunity") to get home on weekends. Most of the trip was at 70 mph - yes, it could go that fast (had to crank down the steering damper) and kinda lay on the gas tank, but it was fine. So, it all started a long, long time ago - when gas was 19 cents a gallon. BTW - forgot to mention this was back in Wisconsin and rode all year round. Riding in snow was a blast - recall going to work one night and pulling into the garage there and saw lots of open jaws (can't imaging why - it was only a blizzard) - guess they never saw a bike with snow piled up on the saddlebags, and especially the gas tank and in front of me! LOL Did learn it was a bad idea to ride in an ice storm - when the roads are covered in ice, traction ceases to exist. The good news was bikes back then were a whole lot lighter.

Fast forward to current times...... Have 4 bikes in the garage now, my 1999 Intruder 1500LC, my wife's 2000 Intruder 1500LC, our 1997 BMW R1100 RTP (kindly "broken in" by CHP before I got it), and the sport bike made to look like an RV - our 2004 Honda Goldwing GL1800. We love to ride - and both were MSF instructors for several years. We found that teaching others how to ride actually made us into better riders. We have decided that the only problem for riding is the "down time" to clean and maintain the bikes! Sure wish they'd make bikes that are maintenance free and tires would last 60,000 miles plus! Guess that explains why we have more than 2 bikes - always have one to ride!! I have been informed that before getting a new bike, one would have to go as 4 is the maximum (unless I want to live and sleep in the garage). It will be hard to let one go as they each have their own characteristics and memories - but at some point, a new model will be calling out........ and it will be decision time - part with memories or move into the garage......

Ride Safe!