My Dad's first Motorcycle Ride

[triangleforge]

With mom & dad visiting us for the 4th, I took my 74 year-old father for his first ride on a motorcycle yesterday and we both had a fantastic time -- one of those shared experiences that I feel really lucky that I still get to have now and then. Once we sorted out a few things -- like finding a way to communicate to him (after he took out his hearing aids) that I couldn't shift or use the rear brake if he kept putting his feet on my pegs -- we set out.

Took it way easy on a beautiful road near here with sweepers & views that just don't quit, and he loved the whole thing, particularly the turns.



Mom isn't interested, but did have fun teasing him about the whole thing, so a win-win I suppose.

[fastwin]

I would have given a million dollars to take my Dad on that ride! He died in 2004 and was a pilot his whole life. He was a member of the Confederate Air Force and their mission was (is) to keep the ole WWII planes up and running. He was a flight instructor in the 40's. That was his life! Scooters are mine. We had a deal. I wouldn't go up in his fighter later in life and he wouldn't go on a bike ride with me!!! Mutual disapproval!!! He was blind as a bat and always hated my bikes. Was scared to death of them. My life would be complete if I ever got him to take that ride with me. I spent hundreds of hours with him in planes over the years but never got him on a bike. A dilemma I will take to my grave... I am sorry that I could never make that happen. Planes were his life and bikes are mine. I understood his passion but he never understood mine. Sad.

[ungeheuer]

Nice story, I'm sure your Dad will enjoy telling to all who will listen too   

[Duck-Stew]

I'm with fastwin here.  I never did get a chance to do a moto-ride w/my Dad and he's been gone 5 years now.  I'm glad you got a chance to do it and I'm wagering he is too. 

[Ronnie-d]

A moment you both will always remember.
I wish I could have done that with my Dad

[DucSeason]

What a great opportunity. I would have loved to have shared my bike fever with my dad or stepdad, both of whom are no longer alive. It just wasn't to be.... I'm glad you got to make it happen.

[R0CKETMAN]

Way cool. Envious

[Goat_Herder]

Very cool in deed.  It's great you are able to share that experience with your dad.  My dad was a car and motorcycle enthusist.  Some of my best memory of him was out riding motorcycle or going to car shows when I was a kid.  He died in 2001 when I was still in college.  So he never got to know me as a man.  It would have been a blast talking cars and bikes with him now.  The next best thing is doing that with my brother but he is half of the world away.

[stopintime]

I took my old dad on his first ride (since his younger Vespa years) two years ago.
As normal after a Ducati ride, he couldn't stop smiling.
Did a similar thing with my other passion three years ago - his first and only day down hill skiing. Proud as hell.

This thread is a good way of honoring our parents

I was inspired to post up some pictures of his model ship
http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=40253.0

[monstermick58]

Gosh, I feel extremely lucky, I've had the pleasure (and stil do) to ride with my dad, and when my brother was alive the three of us would go to bike rallies, now I get much pleasure riding with my son, I feel truly blessed.





                                      Mmick

[DoubleEagle]

My Father passed in 2001.

Cancer took him.

I always take him w, me on every ride I go on , in Spirit.

I say " come on Dad , get on , let's go for a ride and see what Animals we can see today."

He loved Nature and so do I.

Dolph     

[needtorque]

Must have been nice.  I won't ride with my dad due to the fact that he is drunk whenever he rides.  He does have a bike and it would be nice but I can't approve of his behavior.

[NoisyDante]

I just got my Dad a pair of riding gloves for Father's Day, my mom got him the MSF riding course, and he just got his permit last week.  Pretty soon I'll be able to ride with my Dad, which I'm really looking forward to.  I know he'll either go Harley or BMW, but he loves my Ducati.

[NFG]

I moved across an ocean to help dad out with his business.  It's great spending time with him while that opportunity still exists.  We've had a lot of fun with the bikes.  He used to ride, and would tell me stories about strange alien mechanisms in obscure imported bikes, like Ducatis.

He got old, and couldn't swing a leg over a bike as well as he could, so he bought a Burgman 600.  Shortly afterwards, I got my bike license just so I could ride it, and then decided I needed my own bike.  Bought a 1993 M900 for a reasonable price, and when I showed up with the Termis shaking leaves off the trees, dad was suitably impressed.  So he bought a Yoshimura exhaust for the Burgman. 

It's fun, comparing toys at the office.  He bought a camera, I bought a DSLR.  He got a DSLR, I got a bigger DSLR, and he bought another camera. 

It was worth the move.