August Ponderings for the ABATE LLC newsletter

My uncle Brent, who is only five years older than me, has loved motorcycles for as long as I can remember. He still talks about his experience with them, the ones he has owned, the ones he wants to own and the ones that were too nasty not to be desired. “Just want to ride one, one time,” he says. He tells tales of the blurry-eyed riding style, the feats of accomplishment, the near misses and the thrill of reckless behavior. You know, FUN! (OK, to a 13-year-old, that’s how it sounds–we grow up and get smarter -- maybe.) He was my two-wheeled hero, my inspiration, my motivation to experience motorcycling.

But a funny thing has happened to him over the years. He’s gone from a bit of a hell-raiser to a full-on responsible citizen. He went from a wild & crazy teen to a young airman in Europe who longed for a great time when off-duty, then returned home to become a policeman, a husband, a father, a postal employee who then matured into a postmaster and is now a proud grandfather. The thoughts and desires of another bike in his garage always gave way to another slice of responsibility.

I sold my ‘02 Sabre to his son a few years back. He also had heard the stories about his father and was enticed into the motorcycle world. My cousin and I have talked several times about how great it would be for us to take off with some other family members who ride for a long weekend get-away. I have gotten to go on a couple of fishing trips to Canada with my uncle and we’ve had some really good times. It’s always good to hang out with him, and I still think he’s one of the best guys around. But I have to say, a bike weekend with the person who inspired me to grab a set of bars and discover the experience of riding, that might be even better.

Think about who first put you on the path to motorcycling and if it’s possible, let them know about it. Tell them thanks. Maybe it was just Brando in the movie The Wild One or Michael Parks on TV in Then Came Bronson, or an old family friend who took you on your first ride when you were a kid. But if it was someone that you knew personally, take some time and give them a little recognition. If they aren’t around any more, well then you’ve already thought about them while you were reading this, and that’s good enough.

As for me, I tell Brent thanks whenever he and my bike are in the same place  -- “the key’s in it, bring it back whenever.” It’s the least I can do for him. A motorcycle isn’t just a vehicle to move you from place to place– it’s an experience, every time you ride it. Someone got you to experience a scooter, and it stuck. Lucky you!

“You live more in five minutes on a bike like that, going flat out, than some people live in their lifetime.”   --  Burt Munro