* * Enjoying the Good Ole Days

Like many folks these days, I hang out on several different blogs to get a sense of what people I share interests with are thinking about.  On one of the motorcycle interest blogs a few weeks ago, someone launched a thread asking about our experience over the years in motorcycling.  The occasion was the beginning of our new decade and the question was phrased, Which decade in your motorcycling history was the best?

Not surprisingly, this sent me into a whirlwind of contemplation.  We always hear about the good old days but how do they apply to my enjoyment of motorcycling? I’ve been riding since before I got my driver’s license, so I have four decades of experience. I started by riding off-road and did some motocross racing (poorly).  I gravitated to the street where I continue to ride now.

As with many engineered things, the technology in motorcycling has changed dramatically in the years since the first motorcycle was invented over 100 years ago.  Motorcycles are faster, smoother, more luxurious, and more reliable than in years past.  But how much relevance does this have to actual enjoyment?

As I have documented in a recent post, I recently lost an acquaintance who took his own life upon learning that he had terminal pancreatic cancer.  Last summer, I lost another acquaintance to melanoma.  It was completely coincidental that these men were both the same age as I am today, 55 years old.  My health is (presumably) good and every day is a blessing.

Meanwhile, there are four motorcycles in my garage right now, all of them vintage and all manufactured by Honda. 

The latest model is a 1998 VFR Interceptor.  The Interceptor is a sport-bike, blood red and fast.  Its 800cc engine is by no means as powerful as many of the newer bikes on the market but it certainly propels me every bit as fast as I would ever want to go.

Unless inclement weather precludes it, every day I ride a 1989 Hawk GT to work.  This little 650cc twin is the most reliable and economical transportation I have ever owned.  I bought it in 1993 for $2800 and it takes virtually no maintenance.  It gets nearly 55 miles to the gallon and is economical to own and operate.

Last summer, I bought another 1989 bike, a 800cc Pacific Coast.  This bike is like a miniature Gold Wing and is comfortable for two-up touring.  This is by far Jane’s favorite bike.

My pride and joy is a 1981 1050cc CBX.  This is one of the original superbikes. With its in-line six cylinder engine, it has style and panache that has seldom been equaled since.

Everyone loves to complain about the price of gasoline these days.  However, for the thrills it brings me it is still a bargain.  If I ride 100 miles round-trip to have breakfast with friends in my motorcycle club, the gasoline barely costs as much as the omelet, beverage, and tip.  We have many wonderfully scenic, curvy, and unpatrolled highways in our area and this is motorcycle heaven.

I can ride virtually whenever I want and feel the freedom and exhilaration that my motorcycles bring me. I have a stable of fine bikes, I have gasoline at the pump reliably, and wonderful mountain scenery and clear air.  Best of all, I have my health.  Waxing nostalgic about days of yore is always tempting, but for me these really are the Good Ole Days.

That said, motorcycling has been put on hold recently. We had our third major snowstorm of the season beginning on Friday and ending Saturday evening.  While the natives are generally pretty restless about this stuff, I am trying to enjoy this aversion from normal, everyday activities.  I have been skiing several times on the nearby Huckleberry Trail.  I generally have the entire trail to myself and have had to do my own trail-blazing.  Only on one other occasion did I see other skiers.  I asked these two women where they were from, assuming correctly they moved to our area from a colder place.  One was from New York and the other was from Minnesota.  Whenever I see skiers whenever I see cross-country skiers around here, it is always a fair assumption that they moved here from someplace else.