Sunday, November 28, 2010

My bike history

SonjaM put her bike history on her blog. I thought that looked like fun so here is mine on my blog. Besides, what are you going to do when it is snowing outside?

My first bike was a Suzuki TS 125 I did have a helmet, but ATTGATT in those days was usually levis and a pull-over.

This picture was taken circa 1984 and was just after I rode through a canal; my young son (now 29) is looking on while I try to get it started again. Pulling my kids and nieces and nephews around in the snow.

My daughter (now 28) and son

I took the next decade off from riding, and then got this bike, a 1984 GL 1200 Interstate. Also in this pic is my third bike, a GL 1200 Aspencade. I had the black one for only about a month before getting the Aspencade, and put about 1,000 miles on it. I rode the Aspencade just over 20,000 miles, in the year that I had that one.

Aspencade again.












This is my forth bike and third wing, a 1994 GL 1500 SE. What a beaut! I got the SE in 2002..I think, and had it for 3 years putting 61,000 miles on it.
This picture was taken in Crecent, Ca, at the end of a coast to coast jaunt.

The wing is a great bike to tour on, long days are comfy, cold days are...well, cold, but easier to do on a wing than other bikes. Someday I suppose I"ll own another wing.





Somewhere in South Dakota, I had started out in Boston two up, my wife flew home from Niagra Falls, (as per our plans, someone has to work!).
Then the family joined me again in Utah and we went to the west coast with three bikes and a car.
22 days, 21 states, beautiful ride!








The wing with Beverly's Silverwing scooter. Near Emigration Canyon, Utah.







My daughter took me to lunch for my birthday...











A family trip. Two sons on their Honda Shadow 1100s, Beverly on her Silverwing, Me on the Wing, and a family friend on the Beemer. The Tetons (Wy) in the background. We are headed for Yellowstone NP, then Beartooth Pass.









Same trip.













Beverly, and elk herd across the road in Yellowstone.














Another family trip on the way to Oregon - the "Shoe Tree" on highway 50 in Nevada.







Our destination, Depoe Bay, Oregon.
Three sons, the two shadows and the third is riding the Silverwing.












Number 5. Sold the Wing and got this Suzuki V-Strom DL 1000 aka "Blue".
The sales guys telling me about my bike. The odo has 1.2 miles on it. :)
Another Daddy/Daughter ride. I ended up putting 52,000 happy miles on Blue.
This Harley Sportster 883 was my bike for only a day. While in Hawaii I rented it to take a day ride around the island.
Bike 6. Another V-Strom DL 1K I still have this bike, so far I have 42,300 miles on this one.

With a few farkles the Strom is a great touring bike. Two of my sons and I rode over to the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama.
On a wet and muddy day ride across part of the Pony Express Trail in Utah.























































Number 7. A Kawasaki Nomad. I still have this one also; so far 17,200 miles. The Nomad is a great touring machine.







































And that's that! With the winter snow falling as I write this post there are no rides are in sight, but..summer is coming (in 5 or 6 looooong months), and you know what that means! :)

12 comments:

Roger said...

Some great pics and memories there, thanks for sharing.

JMGant said...

Great bike history, Ken! I love seeing the old pics!

Kaybi said...

I enjoy our rides.

BeemerGirl said...

Man...those are some great old pictures! The front legs of your jeans are SOAKED!! Really like the V-Strom...

SonjaM said...

Nice two-wheeler collection you have there. Love the old pics.

Ken said...

Thanks for your comments everyone..although you could have left out the "old pics" part, they aren't THAT old....well ok they are, but....

And thanks to Kaybi for helping me scan all those old pics (lol) so I could post them here.

Bluekat said...

It really is fun to see all these pics from the past. (I didn't say old!) Great series, thanks for sharing them!

Ken said...

Thanks, your such a Diplomat bluekat! :)

GF said...

You have had great bikes, I was going to get a V-Strom to turn it into an adventure bike but then Yamaha announced the Tenere, mine will be here in May :-)
I also love the Kawasaki Nomad, I had a Mean streak but sold it :-( shouldn't have sold it. I started my blog with a trip to Key West from NJ with the Mean Streak :-) great bike.

GF said...

I also covered most of the stops you did on your cross country trip recently, it's all in my blog :-)

Unknown said...

I'm loving the one where you're pulling the kids. That's so great, my old man pulled me on an ancient snowmobile when I was a pup, it was a blast. Of course, when he braked the sled did not... these things don't fly so much anymore, but damn it was fun.

Brady
Behind Bars -Motorcycles and Life

Ken said...

Brady, yes, I found out later pulling the kids around is against the law... Pfft..as you well know it is a TON of fun!

George, time consuming is right! But, I've had a lot of time on my hands lately.. :)