Harley Davidson number three: 1981 FLHS, kind of a disappointment.

I had wanted a Big Twin for a very long time. Even though I had bought a new Sportster Cafe Racer at one time, and could have afforded a Big Twin at the time. I still thought that a Sportster was a better fit for my type of riding.

Five affordable hobby cars I've always wanted to own.

photo source:production cars .com.

The first generation Acura Legend coupe impressed me when it was  introduced. It was the first high level offering from a Japanese company.  The first Gen in many ways just seems like a bigger Accord, but the styling was sharper and more aggressive, with those fender blister flares, (very Audi Quatro like) and that beautiful airy greenhouse. These were powered by Honda's first V6 engine and while they were not viewed as true high performance machines, they were viewed as smooth, capable road machines. A manual transmission was available and was chosen by many buyers. Therefore it is still possible to find one listed for sale in the classifieds. The automatic transmission was not the car's strongest feature.

What ever happened to the spirit of adventure?

All photos from the National Old Trails Road Gallery

Oh why did they get to have all the fun?

It took a hardy and adventurous bunch to venture away from towns and the immediate settled areas, Once west of the Mississippi River the condition and even existence of passable roads could not be taken for granted. In many places the road only consisted of two tire tracks in the prairie extending out into the horizon. 

Buried Alive! A chilling scene from an old horror film, an even more chilling feeling when it concerns your garage and driveway.

photo sorce:scoopwhoop.com.

Sometimes it happens suddenly, like an avalanche. Sometimes it happens slowly, like sand and gravel pouring down slowly and steadily. It starts to cover your feet and ankles, but you are not too concerned. You can still lift your feet out of the increasing torrent. Then you are distracted for a moment and find that the gravel has risen to above your knees. Now you're starting to get a little concerned. All of the sudden the cliff collapses and you are quickly buried up past your head and you raise a hand in a vain attempt to stop the flow or summon help.

Game of Groans.

Raise your weapons high! photo source: clipartfest.com.

Who would have thought that finding the right spring compressor would be such a problem?

Harley Davidson number two, 1977 Harley Davidson XLCR.

At least in the looks department, it was a home run.

After riding a somewhat unwieldy chopper around for a couple of years. I realized that I was looking for a higher level of performance than I was getting from my modified bike. While it was quite stable and smooth riding on the highway, the braking still left much to be desired, and the range on that little gas tank was laughable. While on my trip to Canada I could only count on a maximum  of 60 miles. At one point there was a minimum run of 75 miles without any towns at all!. I had to scrounge up a couple of used antifreeze containers as spare gas cans to make the distance. So I was always looking for a bigger tank. There wasn't a lot to choose from. 

"Sometimes a Man just has know his limitations."

There are a lot of great quotes in this movie. Fans will remember them all, but I found this one to be especially appropriate at my stage of life.