My Riding History, Page 2 of 3

My first Moto Guzzi was a new 1974 850 Eldorado with full fairing and bags. I really enjoyed this bike, it was great for touring. With it's 6 1/2 gallon gas tank and 50 MPG you didn't worry about planning your stops. It was very comfortable for long rides, had a vibration like Harley does, noticeable at first, but after a hour riding you don't know it's there. It made two trips to Manhattan, Kansas for Moto Guzzi conventions, plus most of western US.

By now I was married with kids, so to take one of them with us in 1975 I attached an Ural sidecar to the Guzzi. It's last trip to Kansas, hauling my wife, oldest son and myself plus camping gear we weigh at a truck scales, 1,350 pounds. The Guzzi got 45 MPG loaded with sidecar attached. I attached and detached the sidecar about half the riding time.

I traded the 850 in for a 1976 Moto Guzzi 1000 convert, which was a mistake. It had a different frame, and the automatic transmission was not suited for sidecar use. Because of the transmission it had no power for pulling that much weight.

I had my third and forth motorcycle accidents with the this Guzzi.

Once I rolled the sidecar rig in a turn, going too fast. Nothing hurt except my pride, minor damage to bike and sidecar, I didn't even meet my deductible for State Farm.

Sometime later I was participating in the a Oregon 500 sanction event.
Basically it was a one day 500 mile event, but for me it was also 200 miles traveling to get there and would have been another 200 miles home afterward. It was raining the whole day, but still a good run. Close to the end of the run I had came upon a steel grated bridge which caught me by surprised. My first reaction was wrong, I cut the throttle causing the rear tire to loose traction. I lost control and the Guzzi and I went down on the steel deck. I was wearing a full helmet and leathers and didn't loose any skin this time, but was knocked unconscious. The next thing I know is that I am being loaded into a ambulance. The ambulance crew had already cut the sleeves of my leather jacket and were starting to cut off my leather pants when I started yelling about it. They stopped after I assured them that everything still work below the waist (at least I hope everything still worked). Off to the hospital I went anyway, but I was released that night. I had to phone my wife and friend to come pick me and the bike up. The bike had been taken to another rider's house who lived close to the scene of the crime. I came out pretty lucky, considering. It wasn't the wet steel grated bridge that cause me to loose it, I made a wrong decision and realized it as soon as I did it. Another 200 riders had passed over the same bridge safely without any mishap.

Also between 1974-75 I was transferred into the Traffic Division where I worked (Lynnwood PD) and started riding the police bike. It was a 1975 Guzzi police model (basically a Eldorado with police package). Two or three years later the department switched to Kawasaki Police 1000's which became my mount. Our department was small and I was the only traffic guy, so basically it was my bike. I averaged about 1 1/2 Dunlop's a year with it.

There was two other neighboring cities that each had a traffic motorcycle Officer and it became a ego thing as to who could stay out in the worst weather and ride into winter the longest before putting it away for a few months. I was never the last one, usually the stupidest and stayed out last. Later when the department added a second bike we had officer's who wanted to ride, until they experience it. Most were fair weather riders. It sounds cool, being out in the fresh air and all. It's different when your dressed up with tall boots, double wool thickness pants, bullet proof vest under the shirt, and sitting on top of a hot engine and the temperature is in the 70 to 90's. Or trying to write tickets and collision reports in the rain. You spend much of your time sitting atop a hot engine for a few minutes then accelerating for a block to stop someone, and then repeating it again. Or just riding in traffic. Your tee shirt and socks are usually soaked with sweat by mid day. You have to really enjoy it to want to leave the air condition cars, and I enjoyed it. The high speed runs and occasional pursuit was a rush.

Because of my experience, expertise in DUI and collision investigations, I was allowed to remain in traffic until 1996 when during a fishing trip up in Canada I injured my neck and arm and was forced to retire from police work. I had 28 great years, and it was a fun fishing trip to a point. But I can still ride, just can't turn my neck as far as before, and my right arm and hand has some minor problems, but no pain, and I CAN STILL RIDE.

Did I mention that I could still ride!!!!

Well, back to the 1980's and Guzzi...   

That story continues on page 3

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