I suppose a bit of an introduction is in order to help establish some sort of theme for this site. After all, why would anyone want to waste their time reading this drivel? But hey, that’s for you to decide. Let’s see, where to begin….
Why motorcycles? Who the hell knows, but I suppose everyone latches on to an image of something in their formative years that shapes and defines their lives and overtime, defines their sense of identity. For me that was motorcycles!
- Where it all began, it’s 1973 and life is good!
Having been born in the 1960’s and come of age in the ’70’s, I was lucky enough to be aware of motorcycling from the decline of one great era to the transition of another great era. As a little kid, I was exposed to the culture by my dad and when I think back, there are distinct memories of going to the dealership with him to take delivery of his brand new ’68 BSA 650 Lightning, going to the Laconia Road Race National around 1970 (it’s when I saw my first AMA road race and first set of boobies, I was instantly hooked!) and hanging out with his buddies who at the time were into hot rod Vincents, serious H2 Kawasakis and drag racing Sportsters. Not to mention some pretty cool hot rods, but that’s another chapter. I remember the hippies and all the craziness in the early seventies, but to me, the hard core motorcycle guys were much cooler. Guys like Gary Nixon, Dick Mann, Joe Leonard and later Kenny Roberts were focused on one thing, going as fast as they could on a motorcycle. That’s it for me!
Loudon, NH circa 1981. The only thing I remember about this race is that I couldn’t concentrate because I was distracted by the cute 17 year old that took the picture. Turns out, I’ve been married to her for almost 25 years.
I permanently became infected by the bug when a friend let me ride his Honda CT70 and I remember feeling that I had to have my own bike. A new 1972 Honda SL70 soon followed, then Honda Elsinores and early ’70’s motocross, road racing with AAMRR in the early eighties (At a time when most of the country’s truly fast guys were from the Northeast.), fell in love with TZ Yamahas, fast road riding, sport touring and it continues to this day. Over the years, I have tried my hand at motocross, hare scrambles, enduro, drag racing, flat track and road racing. Today, I still love to compete on the vintage road race circuit and plan on doing so until I’m too old and decrepit. We’ll See!
Loudon, NH circa mid 2000s – Still going to the races together!
Who’s Gus? Gus is me, well actually my middle name is Gus, named after my father’s father. A Swede from the old country. Gus is also my alter ego, he’s the curmudgeonly old motorcycle guy that I remember from visiting the old school motorcycle shops as a teenager trying to get a job in the business. Gus probably has a flat top crew cut, a faded tattoo on his forearm that says Harley “74”, chomps on an old stogie and doesn’t want to waste time talking to a young punk that isn’t going to spend money in his shop. He’s a guy I remember from shops like Fenell’s Triumph, J.R. Ransom Harley-Davidson, Hamm’s Moto Guzzi, Hall’s Cycle Ranch, Ghost Motorcycles or Romeo’s BSA. Shops that managed to hang on until the early 1980’s then took their last gasp! To me, those shops were a link to a different time. A time when if you chose to ride a motorcycle as your only form of transportation you were a bit of a tough guy. A time when if you wore a black leather Bates jacket, you were instantly pegged as a juvenile delinquent. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but it seems to me that riding back then was just a little more dangerous, a little more anti-social, a little more of a commitment. I’m pretty sure that’s part of what attracted me to motorcycling back then.
If you’re like me, there’s a little bit of Gus in you too!
So, What’s it all mean Gus? “Don’t Mean Doodley Squat”