Max_Morley
Serious Thumper
Offline
LT650 Luxury Touring & sidecar rig
Posts: 1490
Moses Lake. WA
Gender: 
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Have had motorcycle/scooters since high schools days. After retirement in June of 1998 I visited my family in Juneau AK. My kid brother had his HD Dyna Wide Glide there and a Honda V-twin that he had been hit on and was fixed up by the insurance co. Anyway we went for a short scoot and that was all it took. A few days later I was back in Anchorage AK and drove by the BMW shop and sitting in the used bike row was a 96 yellow thumper. I stopped and asked about it, didn't hear it run but the next day I got a card from my sister in Junuea with a "dali havidison" picture on the front. Not only was the hook set, motorcycling had started reeling me in. I had stopped riding in the late 80's as I seemed to be the target of many Anchorage drivers, they would scoot down in their seat and use the hood oranament as a sight to target me. Bike then was a hybrid 72 Honda SL125 with a Powroll stroker kit to 150cc, trials type fenders, quick removeable lights, a hand built high torque pipe with SuperTrapp, chain tensioner, package rack, and raised pegs. I was into trials riding in the early 70's but had to ride the same bike to and from work as I could only afford one for me and a Honda CL70 for the wife. Kept it through many other bikes over the years as it was a runner. Even fixed it up as a cafe racer one time. Figured I was out of riding so sold the whole shebang, bike, tools, manuals, riding jacket, helmets, and work stand. Anyway finally went down and had them start the Savage beast. Went to the Credit Union and got the $ and went back and said I wanted to ride it first, here is the check, license with cycle endorsement, and who is coming with me. Answer we don't allow test rides. I said no sale, then, he - the owner, decided maybe he could follow along behind me. It was September so he would have probably sat on it the next 6 months if I didn't ride it away. Test ride was satisfactory and we did the paperwork and I rode it home and came back for my van later. That Fall I only got a couple rides before the streets were snowy. Over winter it got a SuperTrapp, Mephis shade windshield, saddlebags and a personalized plate "40CUIN". The next spring my wife asked me if I would like to move where I could ride more and could we afford it if she retired a couple years early. I did the math and came to Moses Lake and found a house, shop with loft art studio for her, and equipment shed on 1.25 acres of farm land about a mile from her family (Mom, youngest sister and family who run the family farm there 800 acres of hay with wheat rotation). Moses Lake advertises 300 sunny days a year and it was in the 40's in February when I was there. We had lived there in the early 70's so by mid June we were moved back and I was learning to fix and operate hay harvesting equipment and riding most every day. I took a wire feed welding class at the community college here mid day and was able to ride to work all Fall quarter. Life is great. Have had a variety of smaller thumpers I bought to repair and ride or sell. My kid brother from Juneau had a HD Road King and his wife a Suzuki VS800 here for many years so we would ride when they were down from Juneau. They had the other HD and a Savage she bought in Juneau. The bikes went home this Fall as they are raising a couple of grand daughters unexpectedly so don't get to come down her to ride anymore. Sluggo from this forum and I have been on a ride together and I hope we get some more in this spring. My BIL here is still looking for the right priced street bike, he has a small herd of Honda 230 thumpers I help keep in shape. They are used by the hired kids to change the water in the fields, as Moses Lake is irigated desert from Lake Roosevelt up North on the Columbia River. Max from "Thumper Acres", FSSNOC # 3608 WA
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