Remember...

[Panheadbob62]

I remember getting off work, walking out to the parking lot and smiling. I was smiling because my 1962 Panhead was sitting there, patiently waiting for me. Not shining, no deep custom paint, rattle can was good enough for me, chrome, what lil there was, was dull, pitted in some spots, but she looked showroom floor to me!

I'd strap my lunch stuff to the bitch bar (this was way before PC) Flick out the pedal, three pumps of the throttle, a few free kicks until I found compression, switch on, throttle cracked and jump! Sometimes more than one, maybe two or three or four, NO more than four. Maybe have to turn her off and sit, maybe have a smoke, yeah, I smoked back then. Field all the questions,

"What's wrong?"

"Need some help?"

"Need a ride home"

all with good intent, just work buds offering, a good thing then,

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine thanx."

"Nope, I got it, thanx."

"Nope I'm good."

all with a wave, handshake and a smile as she will start and if she don't, I got tools and a test light. A Length of wire taped to a bulb, works every time!

Grind the butt out, three twists, a few pumps, compression, throttle and switch,

"ROARRRRRRRS" to life!!

Wow, there's that grin again twist the grip a bit to keep her idling as I look around at everyone going to their cages, turning on the heat/AC whatever, I ain't in no hurry. Parking lot's half empty now when I step down on the shifter, hearing the "clunk" as she drops into gear, let the clutch out and aim for the exit. 2 minutes later and I'm in heaven, sun shining, blue skies and the open road. I think about my tattoo on my left shoulder and the smile grows,

"A life without worry and No need to hurry, a Harley, the road, fuck the rest."

My children's initials underneath that, AHHHHH, life's good!

Coming to the street I turn on to go home, NOPE, straight through that and on down the road. Where am I going? Who the fuck cares, front wheel knows, that's enough! See the red neon sign up ahead, local watering hole, a few bikes out front, I spy Knucklehead Jimmy's out there so I wheel in.

Hi's and hugs and a beer waiting for me, I smile even wider. Talk about Bruce working on his Shovel got issues with something and its slowing shit up on being back in the saddle. Beers down and out the door, bikes start up no problem and down the road we go, to Bruce's house via a beer store. Trun down Bruce's road and then into his drive way, a length of dirt leading to his garage which just so happened to be where we went. Case of beer tossed on the work bench, grab a few and hunker down to examine the situation. Most times Bruce has got it but, some times, a fresh pair of eyes and perspective may need be the order of the day.

Bruce's Ol Lady comes out makes some derogatory comments then scoops up the case of beer and takes it into the house and puts it in the fridge. Not sure what happened but we got the case of beer handled and Bruce's shovel, NOT necessarily in that order as I woke up on the garage floor late for work!! Out the door on the bike and down the road to make another day.

Man, I hope someone let the dog out!

[FTW]

Thanks for sharing the memories.

You take me back to some happy times, great brothers, bikes and babes.

The days when we felt invincible, healthy, still had a whole lifetime full of dreams in front of us.

Appreciate the lift. We ALL need to take time to remember that good ole days, as we continue to work our way through the creation of new memories for what ever future days we have left.