Lady Godiva
02-08-2007, 02:47 PM
Hi all!
Y'know, when I became a member of the OTHER forum, believe it or not, I never posted a "My story, from the beginning", so this will be my first!
I've been riding for 12 years, but my real interest in motorcycles didn't come until my mid-to-late-20's, even though my first husband (when I was 22) had a Sportster. I had always loved the sound of a Harley, but then a girlfriend took me to a local biker clubhouse, and I became a regular there. I learned a bit about the lifestyle, got to ride on the back a little, and it wasn't long before I decided I wanted one of my own.
I think the big turning point was when one of the members, "Freaker", let me sit on his Superglide (inside the clubhouse), start it, and showed me how to put it in gear. He showed me how to work the clutch, and although I only let the bike roll a few inches, it was enough to really cement in my mind that I wanted to ride my own, and I made a goal to have a bike by the time I was 30.
Of course, all the guys thought I was talking sh*t and weren't much help, so being the self-starter that I am, I found a safety course nearby, signed myself up, passed the class the first time (though I'd NEVER been on anything with 2 wheels and a motor before), found a bike, took a friend who rode to check it out, and rode my '82 SPORTY home a week later.
That's a ride that I'll NEVER forget as long as I live! I'll also never forget the looks on all the guys faces when I pulled up on my bike the first time. PRICELESS!! And, I beat my goal of having a bike by the time I was 30 by close to a year.
You might've seen these already, but here's my Sportster when I first bought her:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/SportyBEFORE.jpg
And when I was done with her:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/aftersporty.jpg
I moved from Michigan to Hilton Head, SC in 2001, and in 2002 I gave up my Sportster and moved up to my current bike, a 2000 Road King Classic with a 95" Big Bore motor, lowered and chromed to the max. I wanted a bike that I didn't have to throw a bunch of money at after I bought it to make it look like I wanted, so most of the mods were done when I got her.
I learned a lot working on my Sportster, and always enjoyed being able to fix things myself, but I've got to admit I'm pretty technically in the dark with the Road King. Honestly, one of the things I've always wanted to do is to take classes and become a motorcycle mechanic. Nothing in the world would be cooler than to get paid for something you love to do!
Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Y'know, when I became a member of the OTHER forum, believe it or not, I never posted a "My story, from the beginning", so this will be my first!
I've been riding for 12 years, but my real interest in motorcycles didn't come until my mid-to-late-20's, even though my first husband (when I was 22) had a Sportster. I had always loved the sound of a Harley, but then a girlfriend took me to a local biker clubhouse, and I became a regular there. I learned a bit about the lifestyle, got to ride on the back a little, and it wasn't long before I decided I wanted one of my own.
I think the big turning point was when one of the members, "Freaker", let me sit on his Superglide (inside the clubhouse), start it, and showed me how to put it in gear. He showed me how to work the clutch, and although I only let the bike roll a few inches, it was enough to really cement in my mind that I wanted to ride my own, and I made a goal to have a bike by the time I was 30.
Of course, all the guys thought I was talking sh*t and weren't much help, so being the self-starter that I am, I found a safety course nearby, signed myself up, passed the class the first time (though I'd NEVER been on anything with 2 wheels and a motor before), found a bike, took a friend who rode to check it out, and rode my '82 SPORTY home a week later.
That's a ride that I'll NEVER forget as long as I live! I'll also never forget the looks on all the guys faces when I pulled up on my bike the first time. PRICELESS!! And, I beat my goal of having a bike by the time I was 30 by close to a year.
You might've seen these already, but here's my Sportster when I first bought her:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/SportyBEFORE.jpg
And when I was done with her:
http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n140/towlerla/aftersporty.jpg
I moved from Michigan to Hilton Head, SC in 2001, and in 2002 I gave up my Sportster and moved up to my current bike, a 2000 Road King Classic with a 95" Big Bore motor, lowered and chromed to the max. I wanted a bike that I didn't have to throw a bunch of money at after I bought it to make it look like I wanted, so most of the mods were done when I got her.
I learned a lot working on my Sportster, and always enjoyed being able to fix things myself, but I've got to admit I'm pretty technically in the dark with the Road King. Honestly, one of the things I've always wanted to do is to take classes and become a motorcycle mechanic. Nothing in the world would be cooler than to get paid for something you love to do!
Anyway, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!