In my dads younger years, he used to ride an Indian...and when I was a kid growing up, he got his whiney 9 year old kid (thats me) a brand new 1977 Honda XL75...then, a used 1977 Harley SX250 two stroke, then a new Yamaha 1981 XT250...of course, I worked very hard for these toys, he certainly made me earn them...but he fostered my love for motorcycles, and through that he helped me to gain a lot of independence and responsibility at a very young age.
A couple years ago I bought a second bike to have for visitors to use. It being Florida, no insurance required, so it doesn't cost much to keep a bike. I got a 2001 Triumph TBird with 3k miles on it from Craigslist. The point is, I was talking to my dad about the fact that my cousin (his nephew) was coming to visit, and we were looking forward to riding together. My dad told me that he really wished that he could ride with me, but he had back problems and also, his legs were fairly weak due to circulation problems from diabetes and also heart surgery. I was quite familiar with his medical history, since I would leave work and take him to all of his appointments. I told him that I wished we could ride together too, but I understood that at 86 years years old, he couldn't, and probably shouldn't, do it.
This was the last face to face conversation I had with my dad. He died in an arson fire about a week later, one month and two days ago...the person responsible has been caught, and the grand jury should convene this month.
Now, when I ride, its always with my dad.
