Me and Motorcycles

Me and Motorcycles

I was thirty years old when I bought my first motorcycle. I had never ridden a motorcycle in my life and had to get my neighbor to ride it home. It was a 100 cc Yamaha dirt bike I bought at a yard sale on a whim. I learned to ride it in the field behind my house in Bettendorf, Iowa. When I was transferred to Panama I sold it to an army friend who I heard still owned it years later.

My family and I were forced to live in Panama City because of a shortage of military quarters in the Zone. We only had one car so those of us who lived on the local economy car-pooled to and from work. I found a 1971 Honda 450 CB that a Spec 4 had decided to make a chopper out of and had screwed it up. It had 1200 miles on it. I bought it for $400 and carried it home literally in a box. It took me a week to reassemble it and a few more weeks to get new pipes for it. By the time I finished with it, it was a beautiful bike. I rode it, rain or shine, every day for two years to and from work and on weekends on day long jaunts throughout the isthmus. It was a sad day when I came back to the states and sold the bike.

I rented a bike in Bali in 1983, the first time I had been on a bike since 1973. I was run off the road at a road intersection by a truck load of Indonesians and landed in a pile of coral on the side of the road. That left me with some very nice scars on my right arm and right knee.

I didn't ride again until I got the fever when I was 59 years old in 1999. I had inherited a small amount of money when my father died and used a goodly sum of it to update our house. I decided I should be able to do something for myself and my wonderful wife, although she is scared to death for me whenever I leave the garage, gracefully acquiesed. After a long search I sat on "The Bike" at North Texas Yamaha, a six month old 1998 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500A with 2400 miles on it. It was love at first sight. I had never been on anything bigger than a 450 in my life and the first time I cranked it up for a test ride I popped the clutch and immediately jumped a curb. A friend rode it home for me this time also.

My 1500A12 Right After I Bought It In November 1999 30,000 Miles And Many Dollars Later April 2005

Five years and 34,000 miles later I still love this machine. Everyone I know seems to have the desire to get bigger and newer, but not me. I enjoy tinkering with "Old Reliable". I keep the bike in an excellent tune at all times. It handles easily and will outrun most bikes out there. I ride whenever my other interests and responsibilities allow. I have posted a few pictures of the evolution of my BUBF (Butt Ugly, But Fast) and many pictures of a few of my trips on board it. I hope you enjoy them. Scroll down to see the list of modifications to the bike.

John T Brown III

VROC #4257

1998 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500A12

Plano, Texas