I went off the road once in a tumble which would have been much worse if I’d been going any faster. I swore off crotch rockets from that day forward.

Should say it was our Harley, my husband and mine. I never personally drove one, always rode behind him.

Got a ride on the back of it, scared the hell out of me but it was fun anyhow.

Only knew one person who had an Indian and I never even saw it. We were in NJ and the bike was apparently in his Dad's barn out west (or so he said )

When he started making those sharp turns, I was afraid the thing would skid and throw us off. I didn't care for it.

time helmets were not required in PA.

It was on a date and I was in college. Only time, lol

time. He did.

He taught me how to drive it... set it down on the ground to make sure I could pick it up if it ever fell. Then he encouraged me to drive it all I wanted. I had a routine for a while when I would get home from work (and he was still at work) change clothes and go ride the bike a couple loops around a local park.

I LOVED driving/riding a motorcycle!!

Had two different Harleys, only one at a time.

A VROD, fast bike, in Illinois. Rode all over IL, IA, MO, IN, PA, OH, and MD. Took a trip to NC via the "Tail of the Dragon", very fun. Also, rode to Sturgis.

Traded that in for a Softail Heritage Classic when I was working in TX. Loved it. Rode all over TX, OK, LA, NM, and MO. Paid my Harley tax on this one and upgraded a bunch of components.

Some slimy bastard stole the softail off a hotel parking lot. I'd been staying at the same hotel for a few years while I was working there. Always kept it under a lamp with all security features on in front of hotel entry doors. Drove home in my car from the office one afternoon and something was amiss, no bike. I drove around the lot a couple of times looking. Nothing. Damn it.

All the hotel employees knew me. As soon as I walked in and went to the front desk the lady working said "oh my god that's what's wrong your motorcycle is missing" as soon as I mentioned it.

Reported to the police. Fully covered by insurance.

Loved riding. Both bikes were great bikes. Such a great experience and many, many miles.

I rode it all over the back roads, logging roads, and, yes, trails here in the southern Appalachians of north Georgia. That's been more than 50 years, and I haven't been on one since. I never did like to ride on the highway.

got on one again.

Wasn't riding it enough so I sold it.

After 55+ years of riding/racing/wrenching and occasionally falling off, the last ride for me was called by slower reflexes and a failing eyeball.

Increasingly ubiquitous cell phone use and other cabin distractions by car drivers factored into that decision as well. Bikes are often unseen anyway but when an iPhone has the attention of two thumbs and a face instead of the road in front of or alongside them, too many close calls and common sense sealed the deal for me.

There's nothing like the feeling of sliding sideways into a turn, sailing off a jump or carving up a canyon knowing that experience and skill will see you safely through and when it doesn't, you pick yourself up, brush yourself off and carry on - most of the time.

So farewell Triumph, Norton, Royal Enfield and BSA. Farewell also to Ossa, Bultaco, Maico, Husqvarna, the many Japanese marques and the oddball Harley.

It was all fun (most of the time) and I DO miss it.

Two bikes before kids, none since. Riding a bike in DC is dangerous as hell. Tourists never look to see a bike. Too busy looking at monuments.

for a 1969 Corvette hard top for my convertible.

The last time, I rode behind a guy was 2 years ago in Vietnam. I was 75.

As a passenger

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It was red, and probably dated sometime in early to mid-70s. I didn't know how to ride, but I caught on... enough. We used to keep it at his house so my mom wouldn't know. But, as mothers always do, she found out. Forgot all about that until now.

I've ridden on the back of a few through the years. Fun for a while, but I couldn't imagine a long trip, or cross-country.

Started at about 10 years old with a Wizard motor bike, high school Honda 305 Super Hawk, 20's Norton 750 chopper, 30's through 70's BMW 1000, 1100, 1200. I quit riding when my wife chose not to accompany me any longer and fools with cell phones started to multiply the risk factor.

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block with him. A cousin gave me a ride on an ATV three wheeler, back when 3 wheel atvs were legal. Both times I was more afraid than enthusiastic. I don't typically like machines.

out with my dad when I was young so I'm not a fan of them. My father-in-law has a collection of bikes that will someday go to my husband, which I'm not thrilled about but it is what it is.

pants off of me . havnt since .

Back in the 1970s the only thing worse than a $300 used car was a $300 used Honda, lol. It was my only transportation for a year or so, commuting daily from Loudoun County, VA to Washington DC, rain or shine. It broke a lot, mainly just simple stuff that was easy to repair, but still. It was not at all dependable. I think I replaced it with a $300 car, lol.

A 2000 Quota, and a 1984 V65SP that were a part of many cross-country adventures.

He road his to work for years. We had dune buggies, 4 wheelers, quads and a snowmobile. Now we are old and have walkers and canes. He does have an electric scooter thing.

Almost lost my riding privileges a couple times but my Dad was too kind (although I never got the Bultaco I really wanted).

Once I'd finally made a jump that I'd been afraid of and when I got back to level ground my Dad was there watching. I was ecstatic and said "Did you see that? I made that jump."

He said "Where's your helmit." Oops.

When I was allowed to ride again, I really would never ever ride on the streets. (Was too young for a license) Really, really didn't lose my riding permission so obviously I never rode on back streets into the hills, right?

fun.

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My father arrived with a Honda XR-75 one day when I was twelve and my brother was eight. My emergency room nurse mother was less than enthused. We drove that thing to literal pieces all over the 1500 acres that constituted my father's farm. (He was half owner.)

Later on, I would ride if someone had one for em to ride. The ride I remember most was in Beaufort, South Carolina. (I was 28, I believe.) My band played there and we met up with a few Marines from the base there after we finished. One had a nice Yamaha, I do not remember what kind, but it was certainly a 'crotch rocket'. He let a few of us take it out for a spin on the back road which ran behind the bar. On my turn, I hit that back road and cranked the bike up to one hundred and ten. After turning around, I returned back and hit one hundred and fifteen. My chin was resting on the bars, I was so low on that thing. (Okay that is an exaggeration, but I was low on her.) It was awesome.

We will not discuss how 'altered' I was, nor the fact that I was... sans headgear... but I loved it and that bike was a sweet ride.

My (former) Rock and Roll lifestyle. What can I say?

a Yamaha 350 when we were both H.S. sophomores

..with some help from some older acquaintances of his who were
members of a local chapter of a group with the initials H.A. .

He came home, knocked on my window woke me up and took me for a 2AM ride
....during which we ran out of gas, and had to push it 2 miles back to town!

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Yamaha 175 enduro right out of the crate. Was the first year of mono shocks. It was my constant ride for work and play. One of my fave new bike purchase was a 1982 Honda Ascot 500cc single cylinder thumper. Worst, 1989 Yamaha XT-350 enduro with its terrible over engineered carb. Owned a few different used bikes in between, all 1970's Yamaha enduros.

once in the 60s. I drove a small Honda 250cc? for a friend from Arlington VA to Ohio one time in 1968. I owned a 2007 Suzuki 400cc scooter about 4 years but got rid of it when I had to start blood thinners.

And when I lived in Los Angeles in the early 70s, I owned a Yamaha 125 as my main transportation

Ride it all the time.

Looks just like this:

Stared out on a moped in early teens- not legally tho

Next, a hand me down from my brother- a Honda SS50- still under age

My first legal ride was a BSA 650 Thunderbolt. It really was a work in progress all the time.
It didn't have a normal keyed ignition switch. Someone installed a12 position switch and you had to
know what time to set it for it to start. It also had quirky kick starter. It would randomly lock-up and stop your leg stroke
with solid jolt. You had to put it in gear and roll it a little and it would clear. Used it for most all things including work at
a Rib joint. One night I was taking out the trash and the bike was gone. Uh-Oh. Frantically looking around found it behind the
restaurant in an alley. Next to it was some Guy trying to put the heel back on his boot. He lickity split. The ignition switch
and the kick starter glitch was my salvation.


Next was a completely stock 1971 Harley Sportster KLH 883cc. Ugliest lime green color you have ever seen but beautiful in my Eyes. Perfect condition. Had that one from 1987 to 2000. Sorry to let it go but we couldn't take it where we were going.

Riding a 2015 Triumph T-100 Bonneville 8665cc now. Bought this during the pandemic. Made the isolation at the time
so much more bearable. Still riding- 58 years (not contiguous tho)

On my 2nd Big USA trip by bus (SD, CO, AZ, NM) I visited my cousin who was then at the University of Denver. He shared a house with a roomate. Picked me up from the bus terminal.

Eventually, he needs to go to the bank. But the roomie has taken the car.

Time to get on his motorcycle! Eeeps! Off we go, he giving me his helmet. We return to have lunch.

And then he says that today is the Annual Coors Bicycle Race, and he wants to try and catch it somewhere up in The Rockies! More eeeps! =0
He said I was testing you by going to the bank - you're a natural on the back; you properly leaned into the turns (some people stay more straight and makes it more difficult). I said maybe bc I rode a bike? And I didn't hang on for dear life; a firm but not intense grip.

Sooo...off we went! First we stopped at the lovely Red Rocks Amphitheater! Then we went up to Golden; an old mining town with an opera house. Further on we were passing a stream with people panning for gold! I'm a mix of a bit fearful, but also thrilled!

We finally arrived at Echo Lake about 10,200 ft up. In the nearby south west direction is Mt Evans (renamed Mt Blue Sky), with a patch of snow near the top. It's around mid-July. Will be a couple more weeks for it to melt.

But in the north direction is a ridge of blued-out by atmospheric conditions, and brilliantly white snow capped mountains. It's The Continental Divide! Oh, my goodness!

We go up even further round and round till we stop. From there looking a bit northwest and downward is a massive valley stating narrow at the top, and fanning outward like a triangle in a massive "carpet" of thousands of trees. No roads have yet been built there.

Finally we head back. It feels a little more scary zipping down the road, but I hang on in the same manner.
We never did find the racers.

I have a rare photo or two and memories still bright with wonder!

a Honda360, a Honda550 and a BMW550. I rode for about 25 years. I only stopped when I had broken my leg and ankle--not on the bike. I knew I wouldn't be able to ride for a long time so I sold the Beemer. Riding a motorcycle is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I learned to ride in the DC area in the 70s before traffic became so insane. I wouldn't do it now.

When I was reassigned from the 101st to Korea I rode the bike back to Idaho to store it at my parents' house. A year without being started ruined it so I sold it for parts.

I know too many people who were killed or maimed riding those death machines.

Don't remember how old I was, but I was quite young. It was a short ride, but I was afraid the whole time. Never been on one since.

I had a Honda 400, then later a 650.
But, I was a convertible driver, and when I went blind in one eye due to MS, motorcycles seemed an even more dangerous way to travel.
So, I sold it.
I don't miss it. I never went all that fast & never on the interstate. So, I didn't have the pure fun some have.

... under a full moon with the headlight off much of the way, sometimes at speeds exceeding a hundred mph., maybe 120 for short stretches.

Big engine, six cylinders:

wikipedia

Yes, I was a danger to myself and others.

The crazy largely blown off me and left behind, I stopped at Badwater, stared out across the crumpled salt for about half an hour, and then rode back quite a bit more cautiously.

Mostly I just went running whenever my head was full of noise, which is probably why I'm still among the living. I've never owned a motorcycle, just borrowed them. Three of my brothers love motorcycles and all have had accidents, some serious. One brother sold his bike and quit riding when he had children.

Never had a serious accident, but I was lucky twice. In college at the University of Alabama in 1970 I had a 125cc Harley and had a spill in front of a hospital in Tuscaloosa. It was at night, in the dark, and the headlight on that motorcycle was never very good, and I've never had great night vision either. Instead of painted lines on the pavement they had cement hemispheres dividing the lanes on approach to the left-turn lanes. I never saw the cement things and hit one at 45 mph when I tried to change lines. I hit the pavement pretty hard and rolled 50 or 60 feet. A young couple and child in a car behind me almost hit me. They picked me up and drove me up the long circle drive to the front of the hospital and stayed until they knew I was all right. I think they felt responsible for me in a way because they came so close to running me over. I had a sprained left ankle and had to hobble around on crutches for three or four days. I was 20 years old then. When you're that young you can take that, but now, 55 years later, I don't think I would survive a spill like that. The motorcycle didn't survive it; the front wheel was thoroughly smashed up and my parents sold the motorcycle to someone who wanted the engine for a go-kart.

In 1973 I bought a Suzuki TS-185 and wow, was that thing fun! But I wanted a bigger one, so one year later I bought a Suzuki GT-380 and had it for quite a few years. A neighbor who restored motorcycles bought it from me for $50 (it wasn't in very good condition by then). I was "out of the saddle" for some years after that, mainly because I was living paycheck-to-paycheck and just couldn't afford one, as much as I missed riding. Finally in February 2003 I managed to come up with a big down payment and bought a brand new 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 750, and wow, that thing was the best motorcycle I've ever had! That thing was FUN! But, I did have a couple of spills on it. One of them happened when I was riding out of my front yard and cut the front wheel to the right while the rear wheel was still in the mushy dirt in the yard and the front wheel was on the pavement. I'll never do that again. The rear wheel started churning up the dirt in the yard and slid to the left, the motorcycle engine choked down and the motorcycle smashed down on my right foot. That foot was 20 different shades of purple for about 10 days. It was a miracle that none of those small bones in that foot were broken, but even though the doctor said nothing was broken, I know some of those bones were bent. In fact, I can still feel a ridge on that foot where one of those bones is bent.

I traded in that Kawasaki in 2015 on the car I'm driving now. In 2018 I bought another motorcycle that I didn't have for long. The thrill was gone, because by then I was just getting too old and frail to be riding those things any more. I have owned a total of five motorcycles in my life. I have a Honda Metropolitan now, but it's not a motorcycle, just a little motorscooter that will barely touch 40 mph if it's wide-open and going downhill with a tail wind. And I rarely use it.

Deb, the way you phrased your question, it sounds like you're assuming that riding motorcycles is something very few people ever do. In my experience that assumption is faulty. LOTS of people ride motorcycles, especially at this time of year.

— Ron

Scared the bejeevers out of me. Never again!

Bicycles are a much better match for my speed of life.