Therapy

While standing in line to pay our bill at Target in Christiansburg Thursday, a man came up behind, looked at my motorcycle leathers, and commented: “Well, I’m sure you’re not riding your bike today.”

I smiled. “Yes, I am.”

“You’re nuts,” he said. “It’s cold as hell out there.”

Actually, it was about 45 degress. Cool, but not that cold. My Harley-Davidson Super Glide gets 55 miles-per-gallon. That’s enough reason to layer up and ride.

Someone once said that you never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist’s office. Don’t know if that’s true but I do know that riding a motorcycle clears my mind and leaves a smile on my face.

I’ve ridden when the temperature outside was 12 degrees. I’ve ridden in temperatures over 100. I ride in the rain and in the wind. About the only time I don’t ride is in snow or ice or thunderstorms.

Some who own motorcycles put less than 1,000 miles a year on their rides. I’ve got 17,000 miles plus on the Super Glide, which I bought in February of this year. While that may be a lot by Harley standards, it’s not when you consider that some BMW riders put on 100,000 miles in a couple of years. Joe Kenny, who owns a machine shop in Floyd, has put more than 300,000 on a BMW.

Joe’s one of the most laid-back people in town. Maybe the old saying is right. Bikes are great therapy…and fun too.