Young Man’s Motorcycle Adventure
I read all the stories about faraway places to see and new and exciting roads and adventures
available to most of us, and talk about how far we can go in a day or how fast we can hit the four corners of the country
in a week.
But this story isn’t about how
far I have ridden, or how many miles I covered in a day but about an adventure I took as a young man.
It started
as usual, 17 year old buying a motorcycle to commute to work.
It was a cheap mode of
transportation and also provided me with excitement and thrill. I went through the usual learning process
that most did during those early years, a few mishaps surrounded by a lot of plain dumb luck and lots of fun just starting
the riding process.
I would ride like this for about 6 years, going through the different stages of riding, sport
riding, then loud pipe riding, and suddenly I found myself wanting more and that’s when the adventure took the form
of TOURING.
While riding with my father one afternoon, not really going anywhere special,
we stopped in a rest area to take a break. Two other bikes pulled in and told me about a group of people
who were forming chapters around Michigan with similar interest in touring as I had and for me to come to a meeting one day.
My curiosity naturally took me to the meeting place the following month and I started on my Motorcycle
Adventure that would exceed anything I would have ever dreamed.
The meeting had about 20 people there and all were a little
older than I was but not too much, and they talked about going to different functions and events around the state and around
the country.
I had taken a few longer trips by now (I thought were longer trips) but little
did I know what lay ahead for me.
I listened and joined in whenever they had something going on
for the next few months and then at one meeting I just happened to walk in a little late while they were looking for someone
to take some kind of leadership of the group.
I happened to meet another rider, Chuck Blair, that was around
the same age I was and we became riding partners, and so they looked at us and said “You two would do great,
are you interested?” We looked at each other and thought why not and we were off on our
life changing experience.
We didn’t have a lot of knowledge to what the office would involve but
we had lots of enthusiasm and learned as we went along.
We started riding further, getting involved in more events,
and meeting more people than we had ever dreamed of.
I was single and Chuck was married so I took Director and Chuck
took Assistant Director and together we started a learning process that would last the rest of our lives.
Rallies
were just forming and we would go on one almost every weekend, we even put on the first rally in our state when we didn’t
even have enough money in the treasury to pay for the fliers.
I always thought of it as hosting people into our house for
a party after we went to their house.
We planned all kind of events during the year from pool parties
to campouts, to Christmas Parties and started getting more and more people with our similar love for riding showing up and
getting involved.
I was averaging 30,000 miles a year during the three years as Director; most people didn’t
even know I owned a car.
I went on many rides, to the Grand Canyon, the coast of Maine and to the
coast of California, all of which I could write stories about but this adventure is far more than a location it was a life
style.
I came a long way from the young man in the rest area with
Dad to the young man with a thirst for adventure that was hard to satisfy.
Dad
and I continued riding together quite a bit and we grew closer than we had ever been, and that would last us the rest of his
life
In 1980 I decided to take the summer off, I paid my house
payments 8 months ahead, put $5000 away for the trip, bought a new bike and trailer and left Memorial Day weekend.
I knew what that money
would be worth if I put it in money market and let it sit for 30 years but also knew that if I didn’t go now I might
never get a chance to go.
I joked with Dad that I was going to take a little bit of my retirement early; little did I know where
we would be today!
I started from Michigan and zig zag across Canada to Montreal and from there
to Key West, back up to Michigan; seeing as many scenic places I could find.
While
riding though the Blue ridge Parkway, I talked with a couple that told me I needed to see Banff, I said OK and didn’t
think much of it. Well while I was in Wisconsin Dells camping another couple asked me if I was going to
Banff, this time I became a little more curious but again said well maybe.
I
kept riding until I ended up in Mount Rushmore and yet another couple in the camp ground asked me if I was going to BANFF
and I said YES I AM GOING TO BANFF, I looked
at a map, found Banff and off I went.
Well they were right, fantastic scenery, majestic mountains
and glaciers blending into the sky as far as the eye can see; roads that every motorcyclists longs to ride.
I would recommend everyone try and make this one of your must see vacation plans in the future.
I left Jasper and rode up to Prince George on the way to Alaska; while in
the campground in Prince George I started talking (anyone who knows me can’t believe I was talking?) To
two guys on BMW’s, and they asked me where I was going. I told them Alaska and they said no you’re not.
This
I thought was strange and I said well yes I think I am. They told me to go look at their bikes and upon that walked over to
their campsite and found their bikes totally destroyed from the rode condition at that time.
So Alaska is still on my
list of places to go before my adventure is over.
I just kept going from one National
park to another all the way back to Michigan; taking in as many sites as I could before the snow fell.
I arrived back home around
October, I thought this would cure me of my wondrous addiction but it only made it worse.
This
was only one of many trips on this Young Man’s Adventure.
I left Michigan and soon found myself
living outside of Denver and quickly became involved with another chapter filled with people who had a love of Motorcycles
and touring as I did.
I would continue taking on positions of responsibility within the chapter
and working on Rallies now in the Rockies. I would go to Ruidoso, Steamboat Springs,. And Americade .
This young man’s
adventure was still running ever so strong and how could I have known that stopping in a rest area one day while riding with
my dad would take me so far.
The Adventure even took another twist while in Colorado I happened to meet Donna, and she seemed to
have the same thirst for adventure and love for riding as I did, wow I didn’t think was possible but now this young
man’s adventure even became more interesting.
An adventure
as exciting as this one; is magnified even more by having someone with you to share the fun times, hard times and even the
rainy day times, all of which seem better with someone you love.
Donna and I would find ourselves soon
living in Kansas, raising two girls but still doing what we always loved but now with more meaning and responsibility than
just riding. We didn’t go as often but stayed very involved within the group
,
We
would still attend rallies, but would take the van along with the bike switching off riders allowing the
girls to enjoy the hobby we so loved and even once in a while we would make a rally involving just Donna and I, but mostly
would go as a family.
Instead of saying that we couldn’t go anymore we found ways to still
go and handle the responsibility in life that we seem to have acquired.
We
still took a few long trips, going up around the great lakes, down scenic roads and to many rallies large and small but always
staying on the young man’s adventure but with an old man’s responsibilities.
Even after
40 years of riding we keep in touch with many people we have met by calling some, still ride with some and others look at
our pictures through our website tarnishedwings.com.
The pictures
remind them of their own Adventures; sometimes living part of the one I am in, I update the pictures regularly so if only
for a little while they too are still in the adventure with me.
Dad quit riding a few years ago so whenever possible I would
take him for a ride on the back of the new 1800; he would just sit back there and pretend he was at the controls.
Towards the end of dad’s adventure I would take him to dialysis, going the long way
around the lake taking it nice and slow. I don’t know who would dream more of years past that we used to ride; he or
I but we didn’t say much just rode.
I would pull up to the front door of the hospital with Dad on the back of the
Motorcycle; getting strange looks from people that are going through life without a young man’s adventure;
envious looks from those who understand and wish they were on the back.
We would pretend we were riding as we
did so many years ago, not going anywhere in particular just enjoying being with one another enjoying the ride, I think that
of all the events during this young man’s adventure that ride is the best.
I was fortunate enough to be there
when dad got called away for his final ride, I held his hand and told him “come on dad lets go for a ride”;
We
both looked at each other and that moment all the years of riding, laughing, crying, and Adventuring was lived in a split
second and the look of contentment and sorrow was over whelming and satisfying for both of us.
After
I told him “Come-on lets go for a ride on the bike, he shook his head yes, I told him he had to drive this time”
and a couple of minutes later he rode away without me.
There is no way to explain
the emotions that a person feels at that time; everyone is different in this situation. My best friend,
father, mentor, and riding partner was gone but
I know in my heart I will never ride alone, Dad will always
be on the back of the bike enjoying the ride.
Today this young man’s adventure is as strong as it has ever been,
we still have positions within the GWRRA family that involve going places we otherwise wouldn’t go and meeting
even more people that we wouldn’t otherwise meet
Donna and I are spending more time together than most married couples, and enjoying
the, fun times, hard times and even the rainy day times, all of which seem better with someone you love.
I can’t tell you
how this Young Man’s Adventure will end; I am still on my ride.
1. There might be some
that have gone farther away to more exotic places;
2. Rode faster in shorter
periods of time;
3. Maybe put on more miles during their life (but not
many more miles) than this Young Man.
But I don’t think anyone
could have a more exciting ADVENTURE than I am having.
The new friends we ride with
now we joke about what color our bikes are or aren’t, how many gears our new wings have or don’t have, and what
roads we are going to ride tomorrow. We are lucky to have so many great friends and look forward to many
more we will meet.
I will stay on this Young Man’s Adventure
until the day I meet Dad again and we go on a ride only Dad knows about right now, (I think he is probably planning the roads
for us as we speak)=(: I hope you are on a Young Man’s Adventure yourself!
Bill and Donna Groh
AYoung
Man on his Motorcycle Adventurer
