Old Bikes. Good Times.

My mother was a lovely woman. She took good care of my sister and I as we grew up. She had an interest in the arts, was well read, talked politics, knew fashion. Overall she was just a wonderful and well rounded person. She did, however, have one monumental and nearly disabling character flaw. She absolutely HATED motorcycles. While in high school and shortly after getting my drivers license, my best friend, Jack Burgess purchased a bike. An 80 cc Yamaha if memory serves. Learning of this unfortunate development, my mother immediately forbade me riding on his bike, riding with him, or ideally even being seen in the close proximity of either Burgess or his bike. This, of course, simply just made it more complicated to arrange regular rides - naturally out of her sight. It was left unsaid, but clearly understood that, despite my obvious interest, I would "NEVER own a motorcycle while you live under our roof!" A couple of years later this problem was neatly solved when I went away to college. No longer under "their roof" I found myself free to purchase and ride my first motorcycle, the Kawasaki 90 in the picture. As you can see, I often rode with a full complement of 70's rider safety gear!      

Why,you might ask,am I re-living those heady days now? Simple. Next weekend I expect to REALLY re-live those times by attending an important old bike show here in SE Pennsylvania. On Saturday, March 12, Martin Motorsports, a multi line motorcycle dealer in Boyertown, PA is presenting their Modern Classics show. Nearly 100 examples of significant bikes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s will fill the Martin showroom. These are the bikes that made many of us aspire to be motorcyclists! Where else can you go and see Yamaha RZs, Nortons, Benellis, Triumphs and BMWs from that era all in one place at one time. Nowhere else around here that I can think of! I plan to spend the day. If you happen to be in that part of the world you might want to join me. It's guaranteed that you too will be transported back to the early days of your life as a motorcyclist!

Jack Broomall is a lifelong motorcyclist and a friend of RevZilla. His motorcycle adventures have taken him across the North American continent several times, to Alaska, the Alps, the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. He is a member of the Iron Butt Association and also owns a number of Land Speed Records set on motorcycles at the Bonneville Salt Flats where he is a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club. He has been known to do occasional restorations of his favorite bikes from the 1970s and enjoys track days as well. Jack writes his “2 Wheels 2..Everywhere!” stories about the motorcycling life on a monthly basis or whenever the mood strikes.