From bikes to bikes: Part 4
Part 3: the Ninja years
How bicycles taught me to love motorcycles: the loaner years
In the end, it was a car accident that brought my early motorcycle career to an end. The Chevy Cavalier that I had relied on when it was impractical to ride the motorcycle was totaled during my last year of seminary. After graduation I was headed to a residency program on the East Coast and needed replacement four wheeled transportation.
Given my finances at the time, and the fact that I would have no practical place to store it, trading in the bike was the most logical way forward. My beloved Kawasaki Ninja 500R became a much more pedestrian 2005 Ford Taurus.
It was the right decision for me at the time, but it was still hard to drive away seeing the Ninja sitting the middle of a used car show room. Although I have no idea whatever happened to that bike, I only hope that whoever bought it had half as much fun as I did.
Although I had only a brief stint as a motorcycle owner, I continued to ride whenever I got the opportunity. Over the years I spent time on everything from my brother in law’s Buell Blast to my step dad’s early 1980’s Honda Goldwing. One time I even got to scare myself silly on a Yamaha V-Max. Riding with the Patriot Guard Riders on a borrowed bike, I had the honor of paying my respects to one America’s fallen soldiers.
A pedal bike interlude
With no motorized two-wheelers in my life, I focused more on my original love of bicycling. After getting ordained and beginning full-time ministry, I became a regular pedal powered commuter. Lily and I experienced RAGBRAI together. The same sensations of freedom and adventure that had hooked me on riding as a kid came flooding back, albeit at a much slower pace.
Being newly married, early in our careers, and saddled with student loan payments, there was no place for motorcycles in our lives at the time. New road bikes (of the pedal variety) was as big of a luxury as we could afford.
Once our finances righted themselves we were able to direct some of our resources to other lifelong dreams, one of which was flying. Our agreement was that any motorcycle purchase would wait until the private pilot certificate was achieved.
As much fun as I was having in the air, in my ministry, and in our married life, I found myself casting a longing glance every time we were passed by a motorcycle. Seeing a Ninja or a Virago sitting in a parking lot was like visiting an old friend. The time was coming for me to get back on two wheels.
Window shopping in the desert
Just as I was starting to get serious about looking for a new motorcycle, I received notice the United States Air Force was sending me on an extended camping trip. Although six months overseas put any purchase on hold, it did give me plenty of time for day online window shopping, watching YouTube videos, and perusing Craigslist.
While I was deployed, I had the opportunity to meet other riders who talked me through the process of brushing up on my rusty motorcycle skills. They told me about their bikes. I listened as they recounted long distance tours and weekend rides they had taken to destinations around the country.
The many conversations we had simply confirmed what I had experienced in my own life. Motorcycling gave them the same sense of freedom and excitement that I had savored riding bicycles as a kid. It was time to come full circle. After deployment I returned to the United States more determined than ever to become a motorcyclist once again.
