The other morning riding to work I made my usual breakfast stop, I pulled out my phone and my friend Palmer from back in Virginia sent me a video. Palmer and his family owned Waugh Enterprises in Orange Virginia for years. In my opinion it was the best Harley dealership in Virginia.
I purchased four Harleys from them. The dealership was family owned and had a great atmosphere.
Back to the video, it was a clip from the movie EASYRIDERS showing Captain America and Billy along with Jack Nicholson riding bitch with Peter Fonda. In the background Born To be Wild by Steppenwolf played. I never get tired of seeing it or hearing it! As I listened I thought about my life and motorcycles and what it had all meant to me.
I work at a dealership and can’t count how many times I hear excuses for not riding. Probably my favorite or should I sat my least favorite is ” My wife won’t let me have one?”
You have got to be kidding me! You either need to grow a set of balls or get a new wife? Then I hear, “I just got tired of it?” Well if this is the case, you never were into it to begin with!
For me I have never gotten tired of it. It has never gotten old. I remember being in the 10th grade going to the library and picking up a copy of MOTORCYCLIST magazine and there was a picture of a guy sitting on a black Sportster. The fire was lit!
There have been times when my bike helped pull me through hard times mentally, but none were harder than when I lost my son Justin. He was 16 and full of life. It devastated me.
Harley used to have a logo that said “HARLEY-DAVIDSON, MORE THAN A MACHINE” and for me it always has been more than a machine. It is where I feel at home, it is where I find peace of mind, it is where I relax!
I believe it is either in you or it is not–as to whether or not you are a biker. If you are a biker you never grow tired of it, you never let someone tell you can’t have one!
I still get excited every morning riding to work not for the work part but for the ride part. Every ride is as fresh as the first time I ever rode a Harley.
For just a little while the BS of the world fades and it is just me, the bike and the road and I love it! A lot has changed with bikes and riding but one thing that has not changed is my enthusiasm and love for it!
So all of this is why I say BIKERS ARE BORN! You can’t make a biker. You have to have the spirit in your heart and in your soul. You may have brothers to guide you and lead the way at first but if you did not have it they would not waste their time.
What all this means to you is up to you. For me I can’t imagine not having a bike and riding. Every morning before I take off for work I thank god for giving me the ability to ride for always giving me a means to have a bike ad for giving me the best wife in the world who never nags me about the bikes or how much I spend on bikes!
That brings me to another point I have spent a LOT of money on bikes and if you asked me if I would do it all again? My answer would be “HELL YEAH!”
Until next time, RIDE!
