72
The Carolinas’ Full Throttle Magazine
28 Years Later
By: Mike Leal you two shirts. They are rally shirts of our club from Virta In 1985 I got out of the Army and returned to my home in Salmi, Finland. We have one international Harley meeting in Fayetteville, NC. As a farewell gift I bought myself a brand Finland every year. It is in the middle of July, and 1992 it was new ‘84 FXWG Wide Glide. in Virta Salmi. As an army aviator I made a lot of friends. One of my best I have been a couple of times to USA after 1985 and in the friends, a great pilot and also a motorcyclist happened to future I’m going to visit, too. I have never visited in Daytona be stationed at Ft. Bragg near Fayetteville. We had met in Bike Week. It would be nice to go to bike week in some year, Germany as members of the though together, as we plan same flight platoon and had nine years ago. flown helicopters together all Do you still have that same over Europe. Jukka was from bike? Finland and amazed me with Keeping in touch. his stories of racing bikes on Best wishes ice with spiked tires. He had a Pekka Envall (Epa) good friend named Pekka. His I was blown away when I nickname is Epa. Epa hapreceived the letter. We became pened to be visiting Jukka in pen pals, exchanging Christthe summer of ‘85 in Fayettemas cards, letters, and eventuville. I first met Epa when they ally emails, dirty jokes, etc. visited me at my home during Every year Epa would send me that time. He asked if he could a HD Finland Calendar and a test drive the Wide Glide. Christmas card always with his Always the good ambassador, kids’ picture. I watched them I told him he was welcome to. grow up on those cards but It was his first Harley ride, but 28 years passed, quickly too, as you’ll see, not his last. He without ever seeing Epa again. took off for about a half hour Every year I would extend the and returned with a big smile invitation to come to Daytona on his face. We didn’t spend a with me. Finally this year I had lot time together that day but I an extra bike in the stable and did invite him to go to Daytona this year I asked him in plenty Epa & Mike at Daytona with me some day. of time to plan the trip. Usually I’d ask when I thought of it Nine (non-internet) years passed when one day I was sur2 weeks before Daytona. I’m no planner. This time he said, prised to receive a letter from Finland. Finns have a very cool “Yes”, and we pulled it off. accent and the letter read almost like the accent, although I Epa left Helsinki and flew to Berlin, then Miami, then Fayused my imagination to finish it off. If you’re not familiar with etteville. I had seen a recent photo of him so I recognized him the Finish accent just apply a Russian one and it will suffice. immediately but I don’t think he recognized me. We greeted The letter read: each other like brothers and began preparing for the trip. He’s 1994-01-28 Helsinki, Finland a big old healthy dude, who apparently did not have any back Hello Mike! problems, because he rode my old ‘00 FXST all the way down Do you remember? It was summer 1985 when Jukka and and back without complaining once. I visited your house in Fayetteville. On that visit you let me Before we left we told him about people trailering their make a test-drive by your Harley. During that drive I got “a bikes and a T-shirt we saw at a rally that said, “NICE TRAILdeep feeling”, and I started to make my dreams come true. ER, PUSSY!” He thought that was the funniest thing he ever First, I saved money for 2 years. Second, I sold my Kawasaki heard and repeated it constantly, which kept us in stitches and third I bought brand new Super Glide. Our driving season if you can imagine that in a Finnish accent (No-ice Trylerr, here in north Europe is only five months each year. So we have Poosy!) Guess you had to be there, but trust me, it was funny a lot of time to “build” our bikes during falls and winters. I and I’ve got to get him one of those shirts. have build my bike just what I like, and it has worked, with out The first day we only went to St. George, SC in order to renproblems, 60,000 kilometers. I have been very satisfied. dezvous with my son and visit Skynard’s. It’s a great southern I was in October Fest in Munchen (biggest beer carnival in bar close to 95 and we love to stop on the way to Daytona and world) last fall, and same time I stop by Jukk’s house in Hockback. It’s a destination in itself. I’d highly recommend it to all enheim. Jukka gave me two T-shirts from bike week and said biker - friendly people, great food and enough TVs to watch that those are from you. He also told that you and your brother are interested in Harley T-shirts from Finland. So here I send