Motorcycles, Part of who you are?

When I was about twelve years old I became obsessed with a magazine called Dirt Bike. Honestly, I was obsessed with anything related to dirt bikes, but Dirt Bike Magazine captured my imagination like nothing else. I could sit in my bedroom for hours scouring the pages for any tidbit of information about the latest and greatest motorcycles and never be bored.

The pages of Dirt Bike were filled with images of my motocross and off-road racing heroes. Names like Bob Hannah, Roger DeCoster, Brad Lackey, Broc Glover and Dick Burleson, just to name a few, were featured prominently, as well as test reviews of new motorcycles, accessories, and aftermarket parts. As with most periodical publications, there were also how-to, opinion, and fictional columns to round out the pages.

One of my favorite columns was called “Checkpoint” by Dirt Bike editor, Rick Sieman AKA “Super Hunky” He once wrote a compelling tale of a man who found out from his doctor that he was terminally ill. He decided to live out his final days by building the motorcycle of his dreams and then beating his illness to the punch by riding it into the clear blue air.

Rick’s aforementioned story “Exit” galvanized the motorcycling experience for me at a very young age. Motorcycling is not just something you do. It’s something that is a part of who you are. While those old issues Dirt Bike Magazine are long gone, and my wife still tries to throw out the back issues of my more current magazines, the images that captured my imagination and my connection to motorcycling are as strong as ever.

I’m sure every motorcyclist has had a moment or event in their lives in which their connection to motorcycling was forever solidified. What experience made motorcycling part of who you are?