Motorcycle Memories

Jerry started off with a Suzuki 750, called a Water Buffalo. We rode together on it for quite awhile. 

He then got a Kawasaki 1300.

The first bike Jerry got me on was a Yamaha 200. We had three acres of land and I ran into the side of our mobile home and broke the speedometer!!

My first bike - a Suzuki 550.

I am holding a rubber duck that was my constant companion for a long while. The motorcycle club required it to be in full display on your bike whenever you dropped your bike!! I thought I would keep it forever. Every time I got rid of it, I would do it again and get it back!!

One time, it was not my fault. I had the bike parked and our son, Jerry Jr. (Jay) tried to get on the wrong side and flipped it over.

I planned to get my motorcycle license one day after work at Texas Instruments. First thing I did that morning was drop my bike getting off our patio. Jerry said you are not ready to take the test. I said I am too! After work, (Jerry was a supervisor and got off later than me) so another motorcycle friend / coworker went with me to Odessa to take the test. He lived in Midland and passed Jerry on I-20 on their way home. He gave Jerry a fist bump saying I passed it.

I made these vests for our three kids that showing the name of the Odessa motorcycle club we belonged to for a while.

After I overheard a couple of ladies in the restroom at a bike rally discussing us. Seems like "we would never fit in as long as we brought our kids with us!! Some of them had kids too (feeling guilty - maybe?) We un-joined the club and I made t-shirts for the kids with the following statement on the back.

"MOTORCYCLING  IS A FAMILY AFFAIR.

This was one of our campsites with our trailer/table that I pulled with my bike. It carried three tents, ice chests and clothes for us and the three kids.

This might have been a the Ft Davis mountains. We went to bed in our tents and woke up about midnight with the wind really blowing and snow on the ground. It collapsed the tents and friend let us join them in a cabin.

This is after one of our trip. Jerry was sitting on the front porch of my Mom's house in Amarillo. Might have been after our "TEXAS 1000" in 1980. We drove to different points all around Texas and covered 1000 miles- in the good old summertime!! We took pictures of us at each of  the check points listed for the tour to show that we actually did make it.

Texas 1000

This was Jerry's first sidecar. When we filled up with gas, the kids played musical seats - one in the sidecar, one behind him and one behind me on the bikes. It was not as popular as the second one. Our first trip with it rained and we stopped in Ponca City, Oklahoma at an Aunt and Uncle's home to dry out. The side car was filling up with water so Jerry and my uncle drilled a hole in the bottom to drain the water.

Now this sidecar, I really liked!! If the weather was bad, my bike stayed in the garage and I took my blanket and rode in comfort while Jerry was out in the weather.

This is my "Ghost" picture. It was a double exposure taken with an old camera - kind of neat!!

I was selling Avon at the time and told Jerry that it was undignified for an Avon lady to deliver products with chain lube on her pants. I was also tired that no one wanted to ride behind me and my Suzuki two stroke, saying I was spraying for mosquitos!! Some friends, that we went to rallies with, owned a motorcycle shop in Lubbock. They called one day and said they had the perfect bike for me - a Gold Wing. I sold my Suzuki to an Avon customer and rode with Jerry to Lubbock to check it out. First, though, I went to the Odessa Honda shop and asked if I could sit on a Gold Wing. My Suzuki was very tall and I was on tiptoes. But the Suzuki's gas tank was up top and the Honda's was under the seat so  it was much lower and more comfortable. 

The Gold Wing was massive!! It had a Harley fairing with four headlights across the front, a large Harley trunk on the back and two Moto Guzzi saddle bags, each one would hold two sleeping bags!! I was unsure . . . they said take it for a little ride. I came back and said I'll take it!! I liked it and put 50,000 miles on it before I sold it and bought an Aspencade.

This is a before and after picture of my  1976 Gold Wing. This was before the 18 wheel truck driver ran a stop sign right in front of me and I laid it down to keep from hitting him broadside.

So, Jerry fixed it . He sanded it down and painted with white with the black trim. It looked like a police bike and I had no more trouble with people pulling out in front of me. I love listening to my CB comments!!  Especially hearing the truckers tell each other to "set it on the double nickel", as a smoky on two wheels was coming up behind them. We had CB's on both motorcycles with Jerry's handle being Sugar Bear and mine was Honey Bear. I visited on mine one time with David Allan Coe on one of our trips.

My last bike - the Aspencade.

We quit riding a number of years ago. Jerry was having back issues and riding in general got a bit more dangerous with people not watching their driving.