DODGING THE ROADKILL
THE LONER IN ME
IT DON’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT! nce I finally owned Now to be clear, I LOVE riding a motorcycle of my with my partners. We travel own, I was like a to the Smokies, we roam kid in a candy store. I around our home base, but had been “test” riding the group ride is not my various models for two favorite. I like company, but months, even to the point that many at one time I’m a that the sales team at the little sketchy of. Maybe it’s dealership was saying, because I’m claustrophobic, “Hell, he ain’t gonna buy I don’t know. no bike.” I think we all have that Oh, I was going to buy a bike, but when I was damn well ready. “loner” in us. While we love our riding brothers, our riding clubs, So now, I’ve got my Harley and my first trip was to Texas to visit our MC’s or just our “crew” that we ride with all the time. I some dear friends, one of whom had been a biker for most of his think there’s nothing better than to get away, alone, just for the life. He had helped me negotiate my way around the motorcycle opportunity to fully consume the biker experience. buying experience, but he was a real mentor to me in my younger When I go for early morning rides, I like to stop off at one of my days as a salesman and I’ve always been grateful for him. I HAD to take my first road trip on my BRAND NEW HARLEY favorite coffee shops and have a good cup of coffee. I’ll plan my STREET GLIDE SPECIAL to the great state of Texas. Not only do I route and determine when I need to be done for the day. Then it’s “off we go” and I don’t care where it is. Just listening love riding through Texas, I love getting to see my friends. I took the trip alone. Some of my friends questioned that and I to the sound of my motor and the music playing in my ears is didn’t know why. I’ve traveled a lot of miles by myself and didn’t perfect. You add the fact that the smells of the fresh cut grass think anything about it, but as I came to learn, if something and the corn fields of Kentucky make it feel like I’m right in the were to happen, nobody would know that you had a problem. middle of this beautiful green earth. It’s wrapped itself around me and I’m excited as hell. Especially if you were hurt bad. That didn’t stop me and I was confident in my planning and I’ve ridden many miles by myself and I love it. I can stop when protection. But what this trip made me realize was how much I I want, eat wherever I want. Stop to take pictures wherever I LOVE traveling alone. Whether it’s for several hundred miles on want. It’s just me, my bike, my god and my time. a trip, or just a couple of hours around my neck of the woods on What an experience! I think many of YOU feel the same way. There’s no way a biker, a Sunday afternoon. I’m not a “LONER’ by nature. I spent 40 years in broadcast whether he’s old school of new, doesn’t love solo time on his or radio and you spend every waking moment being surrounded her bike. There’s just something about it. by fans, rock stars, politicians, record company executives etc. When I travel on short trips, I usually have one or two other brothers with me, but when I take off to Colorado, or Texas, I’m You won’t find many LONERS in that business. The motorcycle changed all of that. I find nothing more invigorating by myself. It’s an adventure I never would have had, were it not than to be alone on the back of my Harley throwing down some for this motorcycle. miles, with no-one in tow. I’ve got the roar of the pipes, the music, For this I’m grateful. For this I’m fully involved. I love this journey I’m on! the wind in my face and nothing but wide open highway.
O
10
By Hank Bonecutter
ThunderRoadsTennessee.com
October 2019