Explanations

For some odd reason, possibly not so odd, I have equated the riding of a motorcycle with freedom. Perhaps it hearkens back to Cowboy days when it was just a man an his horse; with a bike, an Iron Horse, so to speak. Thus the screen name Goldwing Freedom Rider (Freedom Rider was already taken).

Many years ago as a prelude to a cross country motorcycle tour I bought a (1976?) Honda 550 Four ( I couldn't afford my coveted BMW), much to my parents chagrin, I suppose I was 20 or 21. I had to outfit it with a Vetter fairing and lowers, because the small windshield I had originally purchased did little to protect me and it rattled and hummed at high speed. This was not a tourer. A three hour ride to Ocean City Maryland from Towson would have my hands humming from the vibration. It had a chain as it's primary drive; they loosen, throw up gunk and road grit and need to be greased. I don't actually remember selling it but I did.

Then came my beloved BMW, a 1980 R100T in dark blue. This bike was bought with the proceeds of some wise silver investing during the Hunt Brothers quest to corner the silver market (and possibly the sale of the Honda). I had it outfitted with the then standard Luftmeister fairing and lowers, the BMW bags, I was ready to go. This was the bike that was going to take me across the country. It did take me as far as Key West Florida. But, as with many persuits, life caught up with me. A wife that didn't like motorcycles. A baby that needed to be raised; the bike sat. When it came to buy the big house, I sold her.

During that time my best friend and roommate also bought a bike, a Honda Goldwing 1000. He came to visit me when I was living in Ocean City and happened to catch a bug. The only way to get him and his bike home was for me to drive them. Although I thought the Beamer was about the best you could buy (and for my money it was and still is), I was impressed with the GL. It was smoother than my bike, it had four cylinders. It was quieter, it was water cooled. It was a Pigwing as I called it. It was heavy, it didn't corner like my bike but I was impressed.

Zoom forward about twenty five years to 2009. I've been divorced and re-married. My daughter is now 20 years old. I lived on my sailboats (2) for ten years. I have sailed, delivered, and raced many sailboats up and down the coast, and to Bermuda. Sailing is also freedom, but living on a boat is freedom with digs the size of a large prison cell.

I married a wonderful woman, Kari, that I met while racing her sailboat "Long Strange Tripp" ( a Tripp 26). Some of her crew and mine were off on other boats in a race to Bermuda. We started dating and the rest is history.

Now, I'm not saying she likes motorcycles, she doesn't. But she is understanding. So, when I got the insurance settlement proceeds from an accident where I was rear-ended in December of 2008; I went looking for a bike. I didn't broach the subject with my wife right away, I bided my time.

I know this is a desire from another mid-life crisis. I had thought of getting a convertible. They are expensive, none get really good gas mileage and insurance is more expensive. I'm hoping to see (and photograph) parts of the US I haven't seen yet and I don't want to break the bank getting there. I thought I might just settle for one of those little scooters that are running around, no insurance, no tags. But they can't keep up with traffic and are only good around town. Besides the better models like Honda and Yamaha get very pricey. This left a real motorcycle as the only option.

Of course I was drawn to Beamers but I had that Goldwing in my mind. I rode a Silverwing that was for sale locally. The guy even let me take it out for a ride. I got into fifth gear and it was kind off screaming, this wasn't a touring bike for me. The search began in earnest.

I found a 1993 BMW K75 with 65K and a 1983 Honda Goldwing Aspencade 1100 with 10K for sale on Craigslist at about the same time. The Beamer was $3500 the Pigwing $1000. I went for the wing, the seller delivered it to the house on a trailer. I just couldn't justify buying the Beamer, bills still had to be paid. But, the BMW may have been the more prudent choice.

The World (at least the US) According to Goldwing