    We moved to Wyoming in February of 1972.   Mom stayed home for awhile, as she’d done most of her married life. But soon she went to work, saving money to buy Dad a Harley. That year she was able to buy the ’71, from Steve Brooks, who had a local band. He’d bought it brand new.
    I don’t know when Dad bought that former Cheyenne Police, Desert Gold 1964 Duo Glide that formed my image of what a Harley should look like.   I remember I always rode behind Dad, because I was bigger, & Tom rode behind Mom. I remember a lot of things about those bikes. But one memory stands out more than the rest.
    It was the time that all four of us were on the ’71, Tom on the tank, me behind Dad, & Mom riding on a pillow on the white-painted plywood Dad had attached to the luggage rack when he’d ridden the bike to Ohio on TDY in the summer of ’73 (if I have my years right). Anyway, we were ridding to Scottsbluff to see our close friends, Elmer & Francie Hays. We blew the rear tire, & it was an awful lot for Dad to try to handle. Mom told me a couple years ago that she’d been thrown from the bike. I always thought she’d chosen to get off! When she went, I went with her … guess she’d been holding on to me. We each rolled down the highway, for what seemed like a long time. Eventually she rolled over top of me, cause she had more momentum than I did. When she sat up, she still had a 6-pack of Dr Pepper between her legs!
    I don’t know when Dad came off. But Tom rode that bike to a stand still. And I remember watching him. Just before the bike gently laid down on the left side crash guard, he stepped off. Mom & Dad each ended up with opposite road rash – one had left elbow, right knee … the other, right elbow, left knee. It was pretty minor. Every snap on my helmet (I didn’t have my visor on because it would hit Dad in the back) was ground down to unusable. You’d think I’d wear a helmet today, remembering that incident as clear as I do. Tom got off scot-free. Even the bike was uninjured, outside of the tire. Of course, there was the episode of getting the bike home … but that’s another story!
    A week later, Elmer & Francie were riding the Duo Glide, & blew the tire, in nearly the same spot, but Elmer was able to keep it upright.

    Dad grew up loving bikes & boats. Eventually, not having a good boat got the better of him. He sold the Harleys in 1976, and bought a used boat, that we used a lot more than anybody that had ever owned it. Now, Dad still had a stable full of bikes. But once more he was without a Harley, as he’d been while we were oversees. He began having nightmares. He’d dream of that ’71. It was one of the bikes that had meant the most to him. The other would have been the ’51 he sold when Tom was a baby. But it was the ’71 he dreamed of. He’d dream that he’d found it again, but then it would get hurt. He could spend all summer riding the Yamaha that Tom now owns, but all year long he’d have those nightmares.
    Around 1988, Dad found the ’71 again, but it was $8,000, four times more than Mom had originally paid for it. He watched it slip out of his vision again, because he knew couldn’t come up with the dough. More nightmares.
    It was about 1992, and Dad was really looking for a Harley. He spent a lot of time down at Maverick’s. He didn’t have the money for one, but he had the hunger. Walking into the store one day, Dad saw Jack Ross’ newest personal display – not for sale. It was that same ’71 Dad saw in his nightmares. It had very little wear, few miles, and had been owned by 9 people, twice by Steve Brooks.
    This time, Dad didn’t give up, & for half again the price he could have paid a half dozen years earlier, Dad talked Jack out of a display bike. He had to put money into some engine work. And he often cussed when he couldn’t get it to start. But he wore his handlebar mustache proudly reaching to the sky whenever he rode that bike, which he did often, every year for the rest of his life. He swore he’d never sell it again, and I swore that after Dad, Tom would own a ’71 Harley, that I hope he will ride as proudly as his father did. After all, he rode it to a standstill when he was no more than 6 … it’s his by all rights!
    I remember when I finally got brave enough to ride the ’71. I grew up on bikes, and I wasn’t scared to ride, but I was scared of hurting Dad’s ’71, so I would ride the Yamaha while he rode the ‘71. But finally he talked me into it. I remember my feet vibrating off the highway pegs, time after time, as I grinned, riding into Cheyenne … and it was danged cold. We were putting the bikes in a show in the mall. Most every intelligent person was trailering their bike. I’ll have you know my Heritage has never been on a trailer & that’s the view of riding my Dad gave me. In our family, we now have three blockhead engines: smoothness & quality at the height of technology. But given a chance, I’ll take the old Harley vibration over anything new. You never forget what you’re doing on those old bikes. The worst part is trying to work the grin out of your cheeks when you have to step off the bike!
By the time Dad left us, he’d increased his Harley stable. People would ask him how many Harleys were enough & he always answered ‘just one more.’ He never did find the ’41 he wanted to replace, but he found another ’51, & Tom had it painted by Rich down there at NAPA, for Christmas of ’05. Orange & Black. Just like his first one. Some other old stuff, a golf cart, and a lot of well-rode new bikes all added up to make a happy man (who only wanted one more Harley)!
    Today that ’71 still has the original hi-fi turquoise paint, of which Dad was so proud. It stands out in every crowd, with the white leather to match the white saddlebags. In ’06, Mom announced her 1st place win at the Black Hills Ride-In Bike Show, by sending a link to the H-D website, plastered with a picture of her sitting on the ’71 wearing the biggest grin, with Willie G himself standing beside the bike, presenting her with a plaque. I’m still trying to figure out how to get ahold of that picture!

I don’t know what Heaven must be like. With Dad up there, I do believe they’d have to have Harleys rumbling along the clouds, & Dad’s grin couldn’t get any bigger. He & TJ are wandering along rows of everything interesting that Harley & Harley riders ever came up with. But he left most of his bikes down here for us to enjoy. Perhaps he has found that original ’51, cause the last time he & Mom saw it, they cried & walked away; it wasn’t far from being a goner back in the 60’s. I know exactly how he’d feel if he’s up there, riding whenever he wants. I can’t imagine Dad being anywhere without a lot of big boy toys … and he’ll never be without a Harley again. No more nightmares for him.
Dad left us some incredible things to remember. There are more memories in the future for Tom and that ’71, and each of them will be made with Dad’s spirit riding along. I don’t believe Dad would have it any other way.