"Back in my days" motorcycle tales.

[Amos Malone]

A thread to share some stories of motorcycle adventures from the old days.

We old ones all remember the times when we had to walk to school when it was 50 degrees below. 30 miles. Through the snow. Fighting polar bears and wolves. Buck naked. Uphill both ways.

One of my favorite stories is when I was at friends place. The weather had been good earlier that day and one friend had decided to get his motorcycle out of winter storage and take a long ride. Unfortunately he hadn't looked at the weather forecast so he was about 70 miles from home when it started snowing with those big heavy wet snowflakes. We were playing Risk when heard a cry for help through the window and went out to investigate. He had gotten so cold on the way home that he couldn't step off the bike, could barely get one foot down to keep balance when stopped. So he changed direction, came to my friends place and frozen to the saddle shouted for help. After laughing and taking few pictures we managed to get him off the bike and into the warmth. He stopped shivering after about an hour so everything went well.

 

[Ausfahrt]

The older I get the faster I was.

 

[Hermit]

Not cold, but heat.

Back in '74, a buddy and I rode to a motorcycle show about 100 miles away, taking a couple of female friends along. After a long day in the sun, one of the girls passed out from the heat. We got her awake enough to head home, but she started drifting in and out and we soon realized that we'd have to tie her on to keep her from falling off. Yeah, we were young and stupid! To complicate things, the end of Kenny's clutch cable broke off, so we rigged a pair of ViseGrips to use as a clutch lever. Several times along the way, I'd have to pull alongside Kenny's bike and Cheryl would kick Sandra to wake her up. Good thing there was no traffic in those days.

We made it home, got Sandra to a hospital and after an overnight stay, she was good to go. She didn't remember a thing about the ride home, but said the day was one of the best she'd ever had.

Dumb luck.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Not cold, but heat.

Back in '74, a buddy and I rode to a motorcycle show about 100 miles away, taking a couple of female friends along. After a long day in the sun, one of the girls passed out from the heat. We got her awake enough to head home, but she started drifting in and out and we soon realized that we'd have to tie her on to keep her from falling off. Yeah, we were young and stupid! To complicate things, the end of Kenny's clutch cable broke off and he was using a pair of ViseGrips as a clutch lever. Several times along the way, I'd have to pull alongside Kenny's bike and Cheryl would kick Sandra to wake her up. Good thing there was no traffic in those days.

We made it home, got Sandra to a hospital and after an overnight stay, she was good to go. She didn't remember a thing about the ride home, but said the day was one of the best she'd ever had.

Dumb luck.

I hate the heat, much prefer the cold. My coldest ride was a commute into DC at 8° F. I can ride all day at 40°, but at 90° I prefer to stay home.

 

[scottcolbath]

I hate the heat, much prefer the cold. My coldest ride was a commute into DC at 8° F. I can ride all day at 40°, but at 90° I prefer to stay home.

I'm the complete opposite. 90 degrees in Arizona is perfection. I ride in all temps, both my Busa, and my bicycle. Hottest day on the bicycle was something like 115. I may not do that this year. I started a new routine where I bike to the gym, seven miles away, work out for an hour, then bike home. So, it's about two straight hours of elevated heart rate. I'm a bit concerned that it may be too much. We'll see. As the temps go up, I'll be watching for the signs that I'm pushing it in the heat.

S.C.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I'm the complete opposite. 90 degrees in Arizona is perfection. I ride in all temps, both my Busa, and my bicycle. Hottest day on the bicycle was something like 115. I may not do that this year. I started a new routine where I bike to the gym, seven miles away, work out for an hour, then bike home. So, it's about two straight hours of elevated heart rate. I'm a bit concerned that it may be too much. We'll see. As the temps go up, I'll be watching for the signs that I'm pushing it in the heat.

S.C.

There is a reason I moved from Tucson at 18 years old, then Las Vegas after 11 more years of desert heat...

 

[Ausfahrt]

Back when I graduated from high school in 1980, my girlfriend and her family moved to St. Louis. I lived in Tampa and I was heartbroken.

So I did what any other 18 year old love sick kid with a 1977 Suzuki GS550 would have done, I rode my bike to see my true love in Missouri. We went out for dinner and then I rode back home and never saw her again.

The lesson I learned was that my GS550 was more reliable than my girlfriend.

True story.

 

[whisperquiet]

Back in the day, my motorcycles had points, were two strokes👍, had no suspension, but we had more fun than thought to be possible.

 

[Luftkoph]

76 maybe early 77 this was my touring bike, the best in gear down jacket with a wind breaker,jeans, workbooks and leather work gloves.

I'd leave friday after work and just and I mean just get back in time monday to show up for work, and sometimes it would be Tues.

I was living in Ashland Ky at the time, so one fine March Friday it was sunny and cool maybe 40's blast off time, head up to Maryland to see some friends,a especial female friend in particular, north of Charleston WVA it started to rain, no big deal right, put-on my heavy rubber rain pants and jacket that was supplied by my employer at the time, thanks Floyd S Pike.

now the temps dropping and when I get headed east towards Md. its spitting snow and I'm damn cold, wet and miserable, it was an 8 hour ride on a good day if I remember right, this was 55 speed limits and I-79 was not completely finished.

I finally got to my destination in Hagerstown Md. and stood in a hot shower of for a long time shaking and shivering with the water so hot my skin was turning red.

Funny I can't recall what Krista and I did that particular weekend or the ride back to Ky.

Wish I had more pictures from back then, they are entertaining to look at.