Thirty years old that year and finally ready to ride an "old blokes" bike...

Loved that little Sporty and rode it everywhere for over 5 years, hills, commute, touring trips, until my wife's little brother was killed by some drunk c@nt one night on his little Yammie. 

So I thought I'd make her happy and sold the bike, bought a LHD Corvette with the proceeds and started the conversion process. 

Three years later I was over the Vette and traded it for a new FXR Convertible. 

Put a lot of miles on that one 'till i figured I was "done with HD", done all I wanted to anyway and traded it on a Speed triple (loved it!).

A new Lowrider ensued and we punted that one around for 8 years and 80,000kms.

Organised a few day runs, made a few vids for youtube, met a bunch of people through this site and had a ball.

Well the Diavel has been a love-hate relationship, it's simultaneously been the best bike I've ever owned and "that fkin' black thing, I just don't want to ride on it any more" according to her maj...

So I did the smart thing...bought another HD..

I've had it a couple of years now 2-3...I don't know, old timers is sneaking up on me at an ever increasing rate I fear. 

Changed her up a bit, been on some trips, used it as an all rounder and allowed it to keep the Duke company. 

My point is that every time I'm thinking "I'm done with Harleys" there's always another one comes into my life. 

At 60, with failing knees, one hip replaced and one on the way, I don't get out as much as i used to. It's still every week, if only for a short run and the idea of giving it up is not something I like to think about. I hope that day never comes. Bikes have been a huge part of my life and always will be.

I see lots of the little "Street" Harleys lately, guess there's another crop of owners to go with them, they're just not licenced for big twins yet.

This topic got me thinking.  I  get out on the bike every second Sunday if I am lucky.  If the weather looks even slightly dodgy

I don't bother.  If the temperature is not at least 20 degrees I don't bother. 

I have owned my fatboy for about 5 years and clocked up less than 40k.

We are not as young as we used to be.  I still enjoy half a day on the bike when back in the day it was different.

I remember a run from Bathurst to Sydney in the winter time when I bought my  kwaka 1000RX.

Forgot to buy gloves so I stopped at Mt Lambie and bought a pie and just held until it went cold.

Wouldn't do that again

Wearing off, sounds like a horrible affliction. Sure hope I don't catch it.(back to original post)

I have enjoyed riding every motorcycle I have ever ridden.

Life wears off for all, in one way or another. It's inescapable.

Glad the thrill of bikes is still with me.

Always searching Google Maps for a far-flung location (with a pub) to ride to.

We all have stories and our reasons to stop riding bikes or even just Harley Davidson's . Condolences brash, totally understand where your coming from, things can and do often change, good luck in the future mate.

Seems we could all just about write a short story on Is it really wearing off.

I was just attracted to motorcycles and surfing (skeghead) early teens. Had boards and-but thats another story.

Worked at Adelaide East end market before school in order to buy my first bike at 16, Adelaide boy. Yamaha 305 cc, with clip ons etc. Next, still at 16 a metallic Purple BSA A10 with a squeeze horn, and it went on and on, dirt bikes, road bikes, back to dirt then road before I'd even wear out a tyre, I'd swap bikes. Normally always have a motorcycle somewhere , as my safety dummy. Felt lost when not having a bike just near, so I've had it bad. Unfortunately friends have passed on while riding, but it still hasn't taken away my need to have a bike handy so I can have my fix and be placated once again, be it  through the hills, along the coast or even just riding to work, I still get off with a noticeable change in attitude. Sure I don't do things like get up an hour before i have to so I can ride through the hills before work, or take the longest route home from somewhere, but I still get a buzz from my motorcycles, and enjoy adding something to my ride making it more comfortable the ole 'safer' excuse comes in there too.

Never ever thought I'd get a Harley, but with a tally of over owning 70 motorcycles a Harley had to come in there somewhere, and then a total change to riding 'the dark side' not really, I just liked the simplicity of single and twins,but Harley didn't get in there until I hit around 50 yo., then the penny dropped on why. Not because I say to people Oh I got a Harley,quite the opposite.

In 1972 I was riding a fully chopped Triumph around Adelaide, that was fun back then, and I'd still be buzzing if I was riding that bike now,even though I wanted to pour petrol over it to really light up those bloody pommy electrics, which were crappy , but it did look beautiful, and sound magnificent. Rat bob,I'd say was riding with you somewhere in the mix down Adelaide,back in the days of old.

Am embarrassed on how little miles I do, but hey'is my bike and I'll have it if I want to'

 I can't really afford a  Harley, but you can go without food for sometime, a friend told me.

Me, personally, no she hasn't worn off, the mysticism is still there, but I just don't throw the leg as often as I should, or would like too.

Keep riding safe blokes and bloketes.

I did question the wisdom of posting photos including myself but it was the only one I could find...that is like 15 years ago....

Is the joy of riding wearing off on me as my knees crumble?

Nah, can't be....spent a very happy couple of hours riding the WG in the sunny Adelaide hills today...

didn't even stop...

Got me thinking though, a lot of bikes these days are incorporating traction control as a safety feature,  cant be a bad thing I reckon.  Not saying Im going to ditch the HD, but have been eyeing off a Triumph Tiger Sport 1050.  Very well priced and shits on the fatboy for features.  Be nice in my opinion to ride something with these safety features that I can just tip in to a corner and around i go.  i find with the fatty I just seem to be constantly adjusting where its heading.  Might be its age maybe 07 but suspension upgraded and all new.   

I like the look of the trumpy although not as eyecatching as a HD, reckon I would rather be a little less cool and alive than look cool in a coffin.  

If I can't get out at least once every weekend I'm an insufferable prick.

But that's just me, I have half a dozen mates who are exactly the same.

Been giving my own thoughts some thought  , and i come to the conclusion , Bike riding is'nt wearing off i just got in a rut , Used to ride a lot of long journeys with a couple of mates , lots of interstate trips , but one moved gave up bikes the other went back to work and does'nt ride much ,,  so i carried on solo riding ,, then i started riding with guys from the pub i go in , and thats when the ROT started to sink in , I've anaylized it ,,  My adventure bike  is set up for long distance  , i used iot for running around kaipto forest and other  tracks south of adelaide ,  just having fun on my own , usually 6-8 hr days ,, for shorter lets kill a couple of hrs , i would drag out my muscle bike and go  squirting around the hills around Claredon , meadows , straph . The Harley would be used for  rides with the missis , and rides with the   boys in the pub ,   also the occasional overnight ride to  wherever ,,,

But i went out on the weekend and relized what the problem is , I just don't really enjoy the rides with the lads ,   more and more  i've been going out with them , and less and lesss on my own ,, Gone are the days when i get up leave at 7am , and by   8am i'm  at the top of the hill overlooking the plains   on the way to Wakerie , . or  by 9 am ,  i'm up near Monarto giving it shit on the way to Mannum ,  or even doing the loop from south of adelaide ,  up the coast ,  along the northern freeway to  naracourte then , back through the hills  to harndorph ,  over to callington , , victor -delamere and  back home , a good 350-400 klm depending which way , Or just booting down to salt creek and back  , for a day out ,

Gone are the days when i waitr for the missis to come home , and tell her , i've packed while you were out , i'm shooting off to victoria see my mate  for a few days , spur of the moment shit , sometines , i've been known to ring her when i got there and say , won't be home for t for a day or two I'm in Vic  ,  No i started riding with the blokes from the pub , suppose i wanted to be part of the harley crowd ,,, But trouble is THEY DON'T FOOKING RIDE ,,, there idea of a ride is leave the pub , race 10 klm and stop ,  5 hrs later arrive back at the pub , and only rode   50 klm and 3 pubs there and 50 kilometres and 3 pubs back ,,, I relized this when we went for a ride this weekend ,  stopped at the second pub ,, spent an hr there ,  and fook me  the next stop was  2 klm away at another pub ,  , they pulled in  and i just rode past tooted my horn , gave em 2 fingers and carried on ,   4 hrs later , i pulled in the pub , they asked where didi you get to and i said , carried on and enjoyed myself , done  200 klm more and had a ball , while you were in the pub on a beutiful day just made for riding .

So end result , my adventure bike  a guy from Sydney wants to buy , is no longer for sale ,  my muscle bike  a few want to buy is no longer on the lets sell mindwave , my harley is staying where it is  and i'm going baclk to what i love ,  Long rides with or woithout a crowd , excpt for today ,   Its 1pm , i'm got things on tonight , have to be home for  4pm , so its out with the muscle bike and 4 hrs in the hills  ,

Back to what i always loved , RIDING

Someone famous once said, "Hell is other people".

That rings true for me on some rides I've been on with others.

I tend to ride solo alot myself, esspessially since my mate had his ride written off at a round about. He has just moved back to Melbourne due to a great job offer.

I bought my first Harley because I wanted to get back into riding after too long away from it.

But I bought it to ride, not to show off at pubs or coffee clubs, and ride it I do, as often as work and wife and 4 kids allow. Rain, shine, black top or dirt roads the bike has done it, and I have enjoyed the challenges that that brings.

I have tagged along a few times with the Ulysses crew,  and as much fun as some of those Sunday rides can be,  I miss the freedom of doing what I want, when I want, going where I want and stopping when and where I feel like it.

I usually like to do at least a full tank so around 320 Kay's, though usually it is more.

Enjoy the solitude and your own thoughts or lack of em, as that can be truly bliss, just riding and enjoying the freedom to be able to do it.

Just remember to keep the shiny side up.

Two weeks left till I get home :(

Love riding my Sport Glide though. Planning to keep it for a long time.