After looking at a few 14 sites, I think this may be the best fit for me so I guess an intro is appropriate.
All of my experiences on MCs originated in Californian, USA. First bike was a 50s BSA Twin I purchased shortly after finishing my 4 yr stint in the USN in 1960. My brother-in-law had taught me to ride 4 or 5 yrs earlier so he could take my car while I rode his bike..He is gone now, like so many of my friends from early in life. That is one of the tougher parts of aging.. Somewhere around this time, I got into flooring installations and that has been my major occupation to this day. I pretty much work when I want after contracting with the same shop for 25 yrs..
When the BSA was destroyed by a drunk driver in Southern Californina, I returned to Northern Ca. and did the HD thing for a couple of yrs, went thru a divorce and then discovered a used Kaw H1 and what it was like to accelerate ..at least on straight roads.Trading the H1 in on a new 1975 H2 and that was accompanied by another Dencoed '72 and a 1976 Kaw 900 LTD.
I was pretty much just getting thru life and the day after appearing in court for "112mph and going away" I highsided one of the H2s at 130 and rolled 97 yds..I got the message and went to Oregon to spend some time with friends and rethink my life..
In 1982 I was given custody of my 10 yr old son and then a yr later my 9 yr old daughter. I had sold the bikes to concentrate on being a single father and trying to figure this all out.. I guess I did alright as no one is in jail and my kids are all successful in their own pursuits. In the early 90s, still single I began caring for my folks as they were both getting along in yrs and ultimately took control of the last few years of their lives so they could live them out at home. It was a great teaching experience and gave me a lot of insight into our culture and the changes which occur..
In 2000, while visiting a friend , he showed me a Yamaha 600 his son had been riding when struck at an intersection ,. He knew I liked bikes and made me a deal to get it gone..The Yamaha lasted until I got it cleaned up and sold and then picked up a 2001 Kaw ZRX1200 and I was seriously back into motorcycles ... Yr later and teh REX got a turbo and then since I live 50 minutes from Thunderhill raceway, I had to try the track day thing.. That led to numerous track bikes but kept the REX and today I have two Rexes a 1978 Kaw KH100 given to me as a gift when the owner passed away, plus teh 2013 ZX14 that had been unsold new stock that a dealer close by put on Craigslist.. I was not really shopping but at the price, I couldn't pass it up . So here I sit with a bike whose performance I could not possibly have imagined 60 yrs ago when I got my first two wheel " lesson" . Simply amazing to see the changes over the years.
