harleys and pirate costume, bmw and hien gerik, guzzy and dianese

[beachmike1]

Before I overtorque anyones nut...: A few things about where I am coming from...: I am 51 and not 51 years young, that sounds stupid. I rode my first minibike when I was in I think the 4 th grade. Love bikes since then. My nickname was Mike the Bike since I was 8. Love them with motors too. From that 2 horse power briggs to my present KLR I have ridden choppers (59 Enfeild) a Harley, 80 inch 1980's low rider, a 750 guzzi, a few yamahas, Kwackers, Hondas. BSA, Norton, CZ, Hodaka, but no BMW. I have seen bikers go from the small monority of odd balls when I was a kid to a large minority after the Honda generation hit in the 70s and 80s to the near death and rebirth of HD. My favorite movie was and is "on any Sunday", my heros were Heikki Mikkola, Malcom Smith, Dave "Bones" Aldana, Steve DiStefano, Bob "Hurricane" Hanna, I still love bikes. WHat I have noticed: Most non commuting motorcycleing is an escape, a pressure relief valve, a great way to reconnect with the world, live a little freer to do something not for the goal of the end of the day but for the pleasure of just doing something you like. Some folks do this alone (my personal passion) some as a group. Some race some putter, some like dirt roads, some like the turnpike, some like to canyon carve, some just like to putt on a scooter by the beach ogling the girls (or guys). If you are not being personally haveing your rights interfereed with then what should anyone care, or even pass judgement? If 300 HD riders want to ride in parade mode at 65 on the freeway just riding from tavern to tavern, are they less deserving of being a memeber of the riding community than a full race prepped Ducati rider at searss point? I personally do not think so. It is a big, roomy world out there under the sun. In it there is plenty of room for all of us. THe less groupism we show to each other possibly the less will be shown to all of us. Wave if you wave, Do not if it so pleases you. Some times I do , mostly I do not. I usually am too busy with my hands on the bars. Does it matter??????