Motorcycling

In her comment to my last post, reader/blogger/motorcyclist Sparky asked about my listed interest in motorcycling. I replied at some length in the comments section, if anyone wants to go back to that page.

Sparky, I see your beautiful V-Strom in your blog, "My Thoughts Exactly,"

So, because you asked, here is a picture of my longest- owned motorcycle. It is a 1969 BMW R60US, bought new for $1215 in February of that year from my late-lamented friend and Finnish-American dealer-mechanic Eino Hokkanen of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. Built in 1968, this Beemer has recently turned 40. I have owned some 20 other machines in the ensuing years along with this wonderful, 7:1 compression ratio, 30-horsepower, 590 cc workhorse. As a result, it only has a bit over 80,000 miles on it.

These pictures were taken by my son Jesse when he and his brother Jamie and I rode to Nashville and back in 2001. The picture above was taken on the 20-odd miles of gravel and dust known as Smoke Hole Road in W. Virginia, but known to us ever since as "The Deer Gauntlet."

Here are the boys' 1978 and 1985 Suzuki 550s at Smoke Hole Campground, site #13.