This is what it is REALLY all about

I originally just started to collect pins having acquired a few at Harley events worldwide to put on my vest (waistcoat). Now I buy and sell to subsidise my "habit". 

I've owned the Heritage you see here since 2002 and it's now on about 80,000 miles.  That includes an epic US tour in 2003 taking in 29 States in 3 weeks as I rode to see friends in Tulsa and of course the unbelievable 100th anniversary Party in Milwaukee.  What a welcome the folk in Wisconsin gave us, you'd think we were the guys coming home not just the bikes.

The twisties shot is on the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.  I rode up from North Carolina through the Appalachian Mountains, just spectacular.  I love the bends but after 100 miles having A LOT of fun on the deserted black top, no State Troopers thank goodness, I was exhausted and had to drop back onto the freeway.

At Close to 10,000 feet this is the highest we been together

I really believe the strength of ebay is in it's sense of fair play. I've "met" some really great guys here through trading pins, many of them real bikers who love to ride as I do.  The pins thing is a laugh but I try not to get too caught up in it.  Sadly though I'm an obsessive!

I'm much happier out on my Harley though and look forward to touring the USA again, perhaps in 2008.  This year I'm planning at least one trip through Europe and I may go to Eire again.  That was a blast with some pals from the US.  The Irish are such a welcoming, friendly bunch it was almost like being back in the States again.

The year I first wrote this was 2006 and in that year I concentrated on touring Europe.  I managed 15 countires in one 3,500 mile hit but what a waste.  I didn't really get a feel for any of the new places I hadn't visited before such as Bosnia and The Czech Republic.  Next time I'll take more time, less miles.  Italy was amazing as always though, love the food, the language, the people, the roads... just everything  :-)  even the clothes.

This year (2007) I'm planning to meet friends from Tulsa OK at the European Rally in Fuengirola, Spain.  In fact I'm leaving in two weeks!  It's about 1500 miles through France and Spain to the south coast but I'm planning on a leisurely 4-5 days.  I may even take a trip across to Africa (a first for me AND the bike). 

Yeees I haven't been here for a while!  In 2008 the big trip was to Lake Guarda in Northern Italy.  First time to Austria too and once you're out of the cities some of the best Roads and mountain passes in Europe.  We rode through Solden and the pass into Italy was something to see!  Then there was a run to St.Tropez with Smiley Steve, great down wet back!!!  I even managed another run to Killarney for Irish Bike Week and what a hoot that was.

It's now 2009 and so much planned for the coming year.  Off to Milwaukee in March then down to Phoenix for Bike Week.  Some friends are coming too and have lent us bikes so the idea is to ride over to Las Vegas, not that I think I'll like the city but boy is it well placed for the great rides.   HIGH on the agenda is Death Valley and a horse back tour but I can't wait to ride down the Badwater Road and check out Dantes View too.  Then there's Lake Havasu, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire and The Grand Canyon.  Mind you in March it could be snowing, even on the South Rim.  I'll post some pic if get back in one piece.

I guess I've always been a biker like my father before me and was touring Europe in the late 70's when it was not quite so fashionable with Brit bikers.  I even managed to sqeeze in an overland bike trip to Australia in the 80's through Iran who at the time were having a bit of a war with Iraq, not great friends those two.  That was a hell of an experience and India was a real eye opener, such beauty and friendly people but extreme poverty was almost everywhere.  Australia was a home from home for me for a few years and I managed to see a fair bit from the saddle of a bike or a horse, including the Great Sandy Desert, the Nullabor Plain (a couple of times), Uluru, Katherine, The Kimberleys, Tobermorey, Bourke and Cairns.  Not much of a city boy myself but I did fall in love with Perth in Western Australia, oh happy days.  Anyway back in the UK now, at least for the time being, who knows what the future holds.