Mellow
07-31-2007, 10:46 AM
http://www.st-owners.com/pp_gallery/data/562/thumbs/72778910_waKduxvz_Byron_OK.jpg
This was one of the easiest things to do as Byron has helped out so many
on the site and continues to be a positive influence not only on this site but
off the site and in his personal life. Please congratulate him for making the
July 2007
Member Of The Month.
A little bit about myself . . .
Like a lot of you I think my enjoyment on two-wheels began as a youngster.
Before Beach Cruisers and Stingray’s were popular, I had a black Schwinn
delivery bike that I stripped down and mounted the largest knobby tires that
would fit between the forks and rear frame. I rode that bike everywhere. A
few years later I bought my first motorcycle, a brand new Honda CL 175 K4.
It started out red but ended up a charcoal grey metallic with a whole bunch
of other modifications. My days of farkling had begun. Basically, I’ve been
riding motorcycles, mostly on the street, since I was about 16.
My evolution as a person has been molded by the usual influences. Mother
(Den Mother), father (Scout Master), and the activities that went along with
their secondary rolls, getting in trouble for not properly watching my four
younger brothers and three younger sisters at times, a couple of years in the
Army (82nd Airborne), marriage (no kids), separation six years ago after
roughly 32 years together and 27 years of marriage, a new found freedom to
buy toys on my schedule instead of someone else’s, and 27 years so far as a
police officer for one of the larger Southern California law enforcement
agencies. I’ve been a sergeant since 1996 and although I am a sworn officer I
work with computers and software in our Technical Services Division right
now. I guess there is a little geek in all of us.
Back to the bikes. My second motorcycle was a new ‘81 Yamaha XJ 650 LH
Midnight Maxim in black laquer, gold trim and black chrome exhaust. I tend to
hold onto things and still have this one. I actually wanted the Seca but you
know who wanted the cruiser. This was my first shaft drive bike and I actually
liked the benefits that a shaft offered. I wanted to upgrade when Honda
introduced the ST 1100's in ‘91, again some of you that have been married
may understand why that didn’t happen. As fate and timing would have it I
finally bought my ‘06 ST 1300 in March of 2006. I found ST-Owners and this
community during my information gathering. A lot of what I have done with
the bike has been posted here on the site so I won’t go into the details. Since
joining this great community and purchasing the ST 1300 I have had the
privilege to meet, converse and ride with only a very small percentage of you
but it has all been good. I’ve logged more than 40,000 miles seeing the sights
around California South of the Sonora Pass to the Mexican border and parts of
Arizona.
As far as other interests go you might say I have a few. As my ex-wife would
say, "just what you need, another hobby!" I won’t bore you with the list.
Besides, it will give us something else to talk about when we meet. I will say
that when I take up a hobby I like to really get into it. Usually that means
taking things apart, putting them back together, making assemblies from
scratch or available parts. The usual, for me at least.
Over the years I have had my share of close calls and been down a few times
on different bikes. The crashes were usually the result of making a turn and
hitting some fluid that was left on the roadway. My worst injury to date was
on my old 175 while riding the dirt road along the tracks near Lytle Creek, CA.
The front tire hit a rock and down I went. I probably would have been OK
except I was only wearing tire-tread sandals and Levi’s and a T-shirt. I ended
up with a nice burn on the inside my right ankle when it hit the hot exhaust
pipe near the head. More recently it was my tag match with a Tundra where I
didn’t go down and only ended up with a minor bruise or two. One of the big
differences between these two crashes was the gear I was or wasn’t wearing
at the time.
This was one of the easiest things to do as Byron has helped out so many
on the site and continues to be a positive influence not only on this site but
off the site and in his personal life. Please congratulate him for making the
July 2007
Member Of The Month.
A little bit about myself . . .
Like a lot of you I think my enjoyment on two-wheels began as a youngster.
Before Beach Cruisers and Stingray’s were popular, I had a black Schwinn
delivery bike that I stripped down and mounted the largest knobby tires that
would fit between the forks and rear frame. I rode that bike everywhere. A
few years later I bought my first motorcycle, a brand new Honda CL 175 K4.
It started out red but ended up a charcoal grey metallic with a whole bunch
of other modifications. My days of farkling had begun. Basically, I’ve been
riding motorcycles, mostly on the street, since I was about 16.
My evolution as a person has been molded by the usual influences. Mother
(Den Mother), father (Scout Master), and the activities that went along with
their secondary rolls, getting in trouble for not properly watching my four
younger brothers and three younger sisters at times, a couple of years in the
Army (82nd Airborne), marriage (no kids), separation six years ago after
roughly 32 years together and 27 years of marriage, a new found freedom to
buy toys on my schedule instead of someone else’s, and 27 years so far as a
police officer for one of the larger Southern California law enforcement
agencies. I’ve been a sergeant since 1996 and although I am a sworn officer I
work with computers and software in our Technical Services Division right
now. I guess there is a little geek in all of us.
Back to the bikes. My second motorcycle was a new ‘81 Yamaha XJ 650 LH
Midnight Maxim in black laquer, gold trim and black chrome exhaust. I tend to
hold onto things and still have this one. I actually wanted the Seca but you
know who wanted the cruiser. This was my first shaft drive bike and I actually
liked the benefits that a shaft offered. I wanted to upgrade when Honda
introduced the ST 1100's in ‘91, again some of you that have been married
may understand why that didn’t happen. As fate and timing would have it I
finally bought my ‘06 ST 1300 in March of 2006. I found ST-Owners and this
community during my information gathering. A lot of what I have done with
the bike has been posted here on the site so I won’t go into the details. Since
joining this great community and purchasing the ST 1300 I have had the
privilege to meet, converse and ride with only a very small percentage of you
but it has all been good. I’ve logged more than 40,000 miles seeing the sights
around California South of the Sonora Pass to the Mexican border and parts of
Arizona.
As far as other interests go you might say I have a few. As my ex-wife would
say, "just what you need, another hobby!" I won’t bore you with the list.
Besides, it will give us something else to talk about when we meet. I will say
that when I take up a hobby I like to really get into it. Usually that means
taking things apart, putting them back together, making assemblies from
scratch or available parts. The usual, for me at least.
Over the years I have had my share of close calls and been down a few times
on different bikes. The crashes were usually the result of making a turn and
hitting some fluid that was left on the roadway. My worst injury to date was
on my old 175 while riding the dirt road along the tracks near Lytle Creek, CA.
The front tire hit a rock and down I went. I probably would have been OK
except I was only wearing tire-tread sandals and Levi’s and a T-shirt. I ended
up with a nice burn on the inside my right ankle when it hit the hot exhaust
pipe near the head. More recently it was my tag match with a Tundra where I
didn’t go down and only ended up with a minor bruise or two. One of the big
differences between these two crashes was the gear I was or wasn’t wearing
at the time.