Enjoying My New Bike!
by Mike B

Enjoying My New Bike!
Mike B, Valley View, OH
I finally got my bike. It's a 97 Suzuki VS 800 GL Intruder. I've been working on my wife for a long time now. She just doesn't get it. She says we can't afford a bike for me. She doesn't know where we'd get the money, but every time she wants something expensive, somehow we find the money for it. She's afraid of motorcycles, so she doesn't want to talk about it and she thinks I'll get hurt or killed on it. Maybe I will, but I don't care. I'm gonna ride. I rode a bike when I was younger, but now I'm 45 and I want to do some things I want before I get too old. Mid life crisis? Don't know, don't care.

I bought the bike anyway. My buddy was selling it, he's buying a Honda. She wasn't there when I brought it home. I wanna ride no matter what, but I thought it would be nice to have something for both of us to do together. We could go out riding on Sundays, and eat out, and just have fun. But no, she won't go. Then she can sit home. I ride with my buddy quite a bit. His new Honda Shadow Aero 1100 is gorgeous. Bright blue with lots of chrome, and he had the dealer install aftermarket pipes. Cobra, I think. I know some guys from work that ride. One has a VTX and the other guy has Softail Deluxe. We all met up at the gas station last Thursday night, and headed downtown to the Flats. We stopped on the river to watch an ore boat going through. It always amazes me how they navigate in that small twisted space. After that we rode around down there for a while and then headed out to Avon Lake for Bike Night at Quaker Steak. We've been the one in Valley View a few times on Wednesday nights, but we wanted to try this one too. The one in the valley is always packed and we always have to park a mile away in the back portion of the movie theater lot. Maybe Avon Lake will be just as crowded. Who knows.

When we got there, there were bikes everywhere. They had cops directing traffic and we finally found places to park. There were cruisers, customs, touring bikes, crotch rockets, and everyone was there to party. We got a bite to eat, after waiting in a really long line, had a couple beers, and then walked around and looked at all the bikes. It's pretty amazing to see what people have done to their bikes to customize them and make them unique. Some of the paint jobs were just awesome. I sound like my daughter. We saw some trikes that were homemade from car chassis, probably VW. I'm not sure I'd consider that a motorcycle, but it was interesting to see. They looked like they were from the sixties or maybe seventies, and barely looked road worthy.

As time wore on, it started getting late and it was such a nice evening, we decided we wanted to get some more riding in. I can't believe my wife won't give this a chance, but hey, it's her loss. I was having a ball! We got on our bikes and left. We roared out of there. The night air was kinda cool but it felt good after being so hot today, and after being cooped up in an office all day. We headed back downtown, taking a ride on Lake Rd, which runs along the lakeshore. The moon was very bright that night and every once in a while, when you got a glimps of the lake, you could see it glisten. The wind was starting to kick up and the lake was choppy, so you could just make out the whitecaps too at times. I was so glad I didn't sit home that night. Nothing on TV could compare to this. I thought I noticed a light of a boat out there too. Hopefully they'll get in alright. Small craft warnings are up for tonight.

From downtown Cleveland, we got on 77 South and rode down to the Cloverleaf exit. From there we went our separate ways. It was going on midnight. I'm going to be dead tired at work tomorrow, but what a ride tonight. My bike, my buds, my freedom, and the night wind in my face. I think I'm really gonna like this. Why the heck didn't I do it sooner?

©2008 The L.W. Wallace Co., Inc.