The Great Adventure

In March of 2008, my family and I were heading back to the Dallas area from Amarillo to spend time with friends and family during the spring break holiday. I had asked my wife if it would be okay if I rode my bike to Dallas so that we could cruise our old neighborhoods while visiting. She said yes. More specifically, she said, “Well if that is what you really want to do I guess I can’t stop you.” I had the bike serviced earlier in the week. I bought a new helmet and gloves. And I was ready for the trip.

When the day arrived that we planned to leave, the temperature was forty degrees outside at ten o’clock that morning with out the wind chill factored in. That was not at all an issue to me at the time. I was in my full leather riding gear. I had my coat, chaps, and gloves on and was ready to ride. Once the sun came up by noon, it would have warmed up considerably. Not to mention that the Texas Panhandle is always much cooler than the Dallas Metroplex where our final destination lie. So as I rode farther south it would warm up. And the rest of the family would be following me in the station wagon on the trip down if I needed anything.

I had been riding my Suzuki Marauder for a year’s time. It is an open sportster styled cruiser with lots of chrome and loud pipes. A magnificent two-wheeled machine that is quick and powerful. It is amazing having a motorcycle and traveling on the open road. You feel connected with your surroundings. You get a much more beautiful view of the world from behind the handlebars. And any biker will tell you that there is an excitement and peace that is only experienced in the saddle while being out in the elements. It is a true joy.

I had never done a single day trip of 367.8 miles before this journey. And since I lived in the Panhandle, the cold winter temperatures had limited my riding time severely since the previous October. As I rode the first 10 or so miles I thought to myself, ‘Man, its incredibly cold, almost unbearable, but it will warm up…’ but it stayed frigid until I pulled into Dallas. I was an hour outside of Amarillo, and I began having a searing pain on my left leg. I pulled to the side of the interstate and realized that my chaps had unbuckled leaving the metal snaps to strike me at will repeatedly with the full force of the wind behind them. I corrected the issue only to have it happen three more painful times. It was a very windy day that day. 40 to 60 mph gusts until I got 200 miles behind me. I found comfort behind the eighteen-wheelers as they barreled down the highway. When you ride their bumpers they completely block the wind.

When we made our first scheduled stop my wife smiled and laughed at me. She laughed loudly and had trouble drawing her laughter to a close. I stood beside her car shivering with tears frozen to my face. She said, “Honey, you’re sure that this is what you really wanted to do.” I smiled and said with pride, “Yes. Yes it is.”

The remainder of the trip was filled with several stops to stretch, to refasten the snaps on my chaps and to drink hot beverages. I ran out of gas not having truly tested the full extent of the fuel efficiency via windy highway miles for the tank. Thank the Lord for the reserve tank. And thank the Lord that when I had to turn the reserve on there was a gas station within just a few miles. On our next to last stop my wife asked me why I kept standing up as I rode the bike. I explained to her that my legs kept cramping and the only way to relieve the discomfort of having my feet on the pegs for hours straight was to stand up or scoot back to the rear seat to stretch my legs.

When we finally were getting close to my parent’s home, the weather turned nice and I had a new burst of energy that dulled the pain in my rear and legs. As I pulled into the driveway with my wife and children behind me I was so thankful for the experience. I gave my wife a big hug and kiss and told her how much I appreciated her letting me have the adventure. I would not trade that first experience for anything in the world.

My wife and I ride the motorcycle together. It’s one of our favorite things to do. I love the excitement I get every time I fire my bike up and feel the rumble of the raw horses. Every time the sun is out on nice days I hear the call of the wild that all motorcycle enthusiasts share. Bikers have a culture that is all their own. I debate on occasion if my next bike will have a faring and highway pegs. I sure admire those limos like the Road Kings and GoldWings.