It all started

In Germany at the age of 13, my mother, brother(my identical twin James) and I, were visiting our moms family and birth place. It was a very cool trip, the Berlin wall was still up, we passed through no-mans-land on the train and it was the first time I drove a motorcycle by myself through the countryside. The bike was a green Simmons bike owned by my 3rd cousin Wolfgang (he even has a cool name) I can't remember the model but it was great fun and was over quick... My brother and cousin Barbara (Wolfgang's twin sister, fraternal) ran it up the garage wall, everyone was okay but I don't think my brother has driven a motorcycle since, he was pretty freaked out and went in to shock.

When I was 17 my step Dad, Bob (he will be referred to as Bob here on in) brought home two Honda's one was a red 450 and the other a 500 costume, both early 80's. 'The Deal' was if I fixed the 450 I could have the 500, so the next week the 450 was fixed and sold.
The 500 was mine in the all knowing words of Bob. I spent that winter fixing, painting and cleaning stuff off the 500. It had all kind of stuff on it 'I would never have put that on a bike!' (17 year old me said) I pulled of a luggage rack, cut down the front cowl, paint the cowl to match the rest of the bike and remove all things, I thought were not cool.

Of course I did not have a bike license or any real push to get one (I had no friends that road, remember I was 17) , so I wore a track around our huge back yard and it was sold the next year.

My love affair with motorcycles never ended, any chance I got the offer to 'try it out' or 'hop on' I would.

And this leads us to next time......