1971 Honda QA50 minibike – a nice gift from Dad to Scott and I. He bought it to be slow and safe. Other kids had much faster minibikes, like Honda Trail 70’s. It might have been good that he played it safe.
1972 Honda SL175 – bought used. I rode in 6″ of snow on suburban streets in Crestwood, and would drop it and slide out. Took sister Kaeti on some fast rides in the neighborhood. Mother Marni threatened to chop it apart with an axe after I rode it in the front yard late at night after drinking some beers. Tiny smooth twin-cylinder 4-stroke with 10,000 rpm redline.
1979 Yamaha DT175 – could jump about 6 feet vertical and 25 feet long, only 216 lbs. Rode on 100-mile poker run outside Cape Girardeau with Richard Dunlap, and the 2-stroke engine almost overheated. Was stung about 5 times by hornets and almost crashed from light-headedness. My friend Don tried to ride the bike in St. Louis but crashed into a brick wall by Charles Schmitt Motors. There was no damage to the bike. I then took him on a ride in St. Louis city, we caught air jumping the railroad tracks on Oleatha Street and had an exciting time. His brother Dave shook his head upon our return. I would take it out on quiet Sundays in Cape Girardeau for a nice country ride. Don and Larry would send me out to purchase frozen Fox Deluxe pizzas at the Cape Kroger at night which I’d ferry beneath my leather jacket. I rode it to class at SEMO state because the parking was terrific, even when temps were freezing. The bike was sold immediately after getting married, and we both concurred that selling was a good move.
1978 Honda Hawk CB400T – bought used in West Virginia, I rode it for 10 years. I took many nice country rides in Kentucky. I put a milk crate on the back for frequent trips to the Boston Road Kroger, usually buying milk and beer. I parked it in the shed behind the house.
Steve sold the Hawk and got a Tomos moped for the family. It looked nice but was slow and unstable. It wasn’t a very good idea. A Lexington policeman stopped Eric and we couldn’t ride it too much.
1993 Suzuki Intruder 800 – the only bike I wrecked with injuries. I had a large group of riders organized by IBM and Gerald named us the Fuzzy Duck Club. I stopped riding after the wreck from 2002 to 2015 when I saw a co-worker die from glioblastoma. I decided to ride some more as life is short. This pic is right after I sold it (I wouldn’t ride dressed like this).
This is some of the road rash from my wreck. I made the mistake of riding in 93 degree weather without jacket and boots and jeans.
2015 Kawasaki Versys 650 – had from 2015 to 2023. It has a very high center of gravity, but a smooth motor and suspension. I rode it sparingly out in the country.
This is Allen and Steve riding at Engineer Pass, CO in 2015. It was an exciting adventure ride – narrow passes and big drop-offs, no lapse in concentration allowed.
On Friday, June 16, 2023, I went riding on KY922 (Newtown Pike) north of Lexington and narrowly escaped being smashed like a bug by a truck.
This experience made me think I should quit riding. The Versys was sold June 21, 2023.