June was one hell of a ride!

As the title reads, this past June was a little too much for me.

First the Mrs and I were expecting our first, due July 22ND. Exciting stuff!

On the 12th my wife and I celebrated my 28th birthday.

On the 17th I lost one of my best friends to a house fire. On the 19th I got some ink in his honor to help me through it. The 22ND I attended his memorial.

The following Friday, the 28th, I received the worst news any son could get. My aunt had called to let me know my father had passed.

My wife and I traveled to Mi on the 1St. Our family gathered there for his memorial on the 5th of July.

The few days before his service were hell wrapping up his place and belongings. He was 65. It was later determined to be a heart attack.

I think about him everyday and am quite anxious to sit in his saddle. That of a 1954 HD Panhead.

 

Do the things that your are most passionate about, they will sooth your soul. From what I see in your sig, take a long ride on your bike to an out of the way airport, rent the most beautiful plane there, and fly and put June behind you. When you land, you will be surprise of the weight that will be lifted off your shoulders.

 

Your father will be smiling & looking down from above when you are cruising down the road on his HD........he would not want it any other way most likely....did he ever kid you about owning a Yamaha vs a Harley......

 

Thanks guys.

He did love his Harley but he was never one to hate on any other bikes simply because they weren't HD. He got the bike sometime after returnung from Vietnam. Much before my mother was in the picture. Ha, he used to joke that he had it before her so he would have it after. Turns out he did.

Its late model '54 so its the rarer of that year with the straight leg frame.

I've been struggling with the decision to make it my own or ride the way he customized it. Ultimately, I believe he would want to make it my own, as he did.













These are Polaroids from maybe 10 yeas ago.

Anyway, life happened so he wasn't able to keep up on the bike for 5 years. A couple years ago he got back to it. The top end needed machining so he enlisted a semi-local shop to overhaul the engine. Evidently this guy Bob was the Panhead guy of Northern MI. He's had the engine more than 2 years now. Last I spoke with my father it was nearly ready and they agreed nothing more was owed for the work since it took so long.

I met Bob on the 5th of July. I was headed home from Mi and stopped at the shop. He seems like a good guy. His shop has been open for 40 yrs or so. I've spoke with him a couple times since then. He assures me that the engine will be ready for me to come retrieve it at the end of this month.