Why I am a motorcyclist!

[pem]

This is why I am a motorcyclist. I went for a ride yesterday to a Amish farmers vegetable stand and it was in the 90's. 97 to be exact. I was wearing just a t shirt and shorts and half helmet. I emptied my bags to make room for vegetables so no cameras. I only rode on back roads. I passed an old man cutting grass on my way there and he waved enthusiastically. On my way back home I saw him in the middle of the road flagging me down. He wanted to tell me about his ride to Alaska 50 years ago on his full dresser. This would not have happened if I wasn't on a motorcycle. What a character. We chatted for some time right in the middle of the road. I got his name and phone number to go see his photos and interview him.

Dick

[droptopford]

Great litte story there Dick; thanks for sharing.
I've had similar experiences and I'm sure most of us can relate.
One of my usual rural rides takes me by the driveway of a rest-home. I look forward to seeing some of the old-timers that gather out by the road on their 'Rascals'. They're beeping, waving and smiling ear to ear. So am I!

[1939wl]

Hello Dick,
Thanks for sharing your story. I have been riding big bikes since 1972 and have gone coast to coast several times in that time. I often ride my 48' 74 inch Panhead, and have had many similar encounters. One fellow probably 35 years ago came into the little gas station that I had stopped to fill my bike up. He was a WWII veteran and was so excited about my Pan, I thought he was going to pee himself. He was considerate enough to come into the small gas station and ask me a bit about my bike, and then asked if I minded if he "looked er' over". He had purchased a new 47 Knuckle (61ci) after he got out of the service in 1947 (he told me cars were hard to get then, so he bought a new knuckle). He was a great fellow, and he had loved his 47. We talked for a long time, and he had some stories of his adventures that I will never forget. He made quite an impression on me. He was just so taken by my 48, saying how much it reminded him of his knuckle. I guess I am probably about his age now, and I still ride my Panhead regularly. I guess we could all write a book apiece of the fun, and crazy situations we have had over the years.
Thank You for posting.

[exeric]

What a great idea for a topic, Dick. Like John's post above; my last encounter with a WW2 vet was here in Sarasota getting gas for my 1940 Chief. A guy you would least expect (by appearance) to have such motorcycle experience, but he obviously cherished that time of his life, and it defined him and made him a 'biker' for life. It made his day and made mine. The other memorable meeting was at a post office when I lived in downtown Orlando. I had a sidecar on my 1951FL and when I came out of the P.O. there was an elderly lady giving the intense eye-ball to my rig. It turns out she and her husband had been Harley-Davidson dealers in Indiana after WW2 and she was very knowledgeable about that early vintage of BT Harleys. I wish I had thought of trying to make a good contact with her as I'll bet she had a million great stories to tell. We all have great stories to tell, and I wish more members would share them here because as we age out, that history, and legacy may disappear.