Motorcycles we’ve all seen them
on the highway, ether sports bikes or cruisers some of us have seen them and
aspired to get one, others want nothing to do with them. Myself I love them and
they have been in my life almost from the beginning. When I was 6 years old my Father got his
first motorcycle a 1978 Kawasaki 650Kz. The bike was red, had a kick start, and
I thought it was awesome. He got it as payment from a man he did some work for,
but the man couldn’t pay for the work so my Father took his bike. He had no
clue how to ride but he didn’t care. I would sit and watch him ride up and down
our street while he thought himself to ride.
In the years that followed him
and I would log a lot of kilometers or miles if your in the US on that bike. We
would ride pretty much everywhere together when I was with him. Which always
got my Mom mad cause she hated motorcycles with a passion, and always told me
she never wanted me to ride one. But
when I was with Dad we did things his way. He’d pick me up from moms on the
bike and even picked me up from a golf lesson once on it. We strapped the golf
clubs to the bike and away we went. That bike has a place in a lot of childhood
memories.
My Dad would later trade that bike to my uncle
for a riding lawnmower, he went bike less for a few years after that. My uncle
then sold it to someone else and they put the bike up for sale. I bought it for
my Dad for his birthday/ Fathers day gift in 2001. He wasn’t expecting that to
happen at all, he was touched and I think that was the best gift I have ever
given him. The next year he bought a 77 Kawi then a few years after that he got
himself a 2003 Honda Saber 1200.
I later
asked him for the 78 Kawi and he said I could but it needed a new rear tire. I
then went and ordered one for it and told him I had one and he should just drop
the bike off. He said he’d take it to the place he goes to get his bike looked
at and that he’d drop it off then. Well
me knowing my Dad I knew I wouldn’t see the bike till the end of summer. And I
couldn’t have that so I went out and bought a 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 500. Why did
I do that cause I hate waiting for things drives me nuts.
I didn’t
tell my Dad I went a head and bought a bike, I called him up the day before
fathers day and asked him to meet me half way between our two towns, I also
told him to bring his bike. I got to the restaurant first and waited. When my
Dad walked in he looked at me and asked where my car was. I told him I didn’t
drive it he then looked back out side. He asked you didn’t ride that vespa did
you. I laughed and he looked back out and saw the Ninja. We then went out and
he looked over my new bike. He wasn’t
pleased it was a sports bike and told me he didn’t want me dragging my knee. I
bought him lunch and then we went out for our first father and sun ride.
So yeah that’s how I got started in Motorcycles, it was all
my Fathers fault. I can safely say he was the biggest influence in my life that
made me want to ride a Motorcycle. Thanks Dad I love you for that.
