HD Memories
I just read a post on my friend Ray’s blog about his first Harley Davidson ride. It reminded of mine in 1965 on a hot Spokane summer afternoon.
I can remember the thrill and terror of stepping up to a ’50 Hydraglide from a Honda S90. Many mishaps and a lot more near misses. On my first ride just after picking up the bike on east Sprague I was headed north on Division. I was sitting under the RR overpass at Sprague and Division waiting for the light to change. Enjoying the sound from the burned out glasspacks echoing from the concrete and steel I wasn’t paying much attention to anything else. The bike was in gear, right foot on the ground and left foot on the clutch. Right in the middle of revving up the engine the bike start to tip to the left. I took my foot off of the clutch to keep from falling over. Immediately with a screeching tire I rocketed through the red light and cross traffic. If it weren’t for the rail on the back of the seat and the pucker factor the bike would have departed without me. Amid the squeal of brakes and honking horns I safely crossed through the chaos a much shaken and wiser rider.
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