Ride Your Own Ride - Thoughts on The Autumn of One's Riding Career

Excerpts from an article authored by slmjim that was recently published in the VJMC magazine.

Over 30 yrs. ago, and after many miles Ridin' pillion on my '74 Z1-A, The Lovely Z1BEBE decided she wanted to learn to ride her own bike. A summer was spent piloting a '77 Honda Hobbit II moped I'd had since new. It's the factory Type 2 'hotrod', capable of a blistering 30 (sometimes +) mph. That little bike got her used to a hand throttle & basic handlebar controls. When she became comfortable with basic moped hand controls, we found a 12 yr. old creampuff '76 Honda CB360T early in 1988's Ridin' season that became her training wheels for a couple of years.

Z1BEBE's first trip on her first bike.


A visit in August of that year to a MSF Beginning Rider training class got her started right, without me inadvertently passing on my bad habits. Then in September, we left for what became a 1,200+ mi. round-trip tour of the southern half of the Blue Ridge Parkway, with Z1BEBE on her CB360T, me on my trusty '74 Z1-A.

Southern terminus of the BRP at Cherokee, NC.  Sign is at the bottom of the miles-long climb up to the southern (highest elevation) end of the ridge.  We've ridden the entire BRP many times since over the years.


Were we ever that young?  Really??


Truthfully, Z1BEBE was still the occasional wobbler when we left, but by the time we got home she had developed into a fine Rider .

A biker looks at your engine & chrome.
A Rider looks at your odometer & tags.

In the beginning of Z1BEBE's affair with the 360T, I was always delighted to see her headlight in my right-side mirror, happily following on my five. But. I was a little concerned that she would struggle to keep pace with me if I let my speed creep up, out of a sense of 'duty' or, worse yet, pride, leading to a fall. So, one day I said something to her based on things I'd seen while Ridin' with others in years past:

" Ride Your Own Ride."   "If I do something stupid, don't follow me into trouble & land on top of me, or I'm gonna be really, really pissed!"

And she took that to heart.

Z1BEBE outgrew that 360T in a couple of seasons, and we bought her a fine '75 Z1-B that only needed pipes & some love.

Beaming with her new-to-her Z1-B.  First time she rode it she exclaimed, "WOW!  There really IS a difference!"


A few years later we bought a new pair of '93 CB750 Nighthawks, identical except for color.  We've kept them box-stock except for the period Targa fairings for 30+ yrs.


Candy Metallic Red (Z1BEBE, "Mine is prettier! ")


Candy Tahitian Blue (slmjim , "Balderdash!!  Mine is clearly more handsome!").


And so it goes...

Holding hands, as always.


Over the next 30 yrs. of Ridin' together, regardless of if she was on her Z1 or her 750 Nighthawk, I'd be cruising at my normal touring pace and, sometimes, I'd have to slow or stop while waiting for her to catch up. I never fussed about that; I was happy that she was Ridin' within her means, safely enjoying The Ride, and not exceeding her comfort or skill level by trying to stay close behind me. She was 'Ridin' Your Own Ride'.

Fast forward to recent times. In conversation with a friend, he mentioned the phrase, “We're in the Autumn of our riding careers.”

Hmmm...

Z1BEBE's '09 Honda ST1300A (of which I'm merely the lowly chauffeur, tasked with spiriting M'Lady safely across the land and into adventure,) seems taller & heavier to me with each passing year.

This is us somewhere around Pueblo, CO.


More to the point, over the past few years, Z1BEBE has become more reluctant to throw a leg over her Z1 or her Nighthawk. Weeks-long, thousands-of-miles-plus tours on our Nighthawks are unlikely to happen again, 300+ mile days now fond memories. This year, Z1BEBE finally said the quiet part out loud, “I'm done Ridin'.” She said, ”I feel like I don't have the reflexes, the strength or the the stamina of even a few years ago, or the freedom from the inevitable aches & pains that come with..., (slmjim - "ahem... gotta be careful here... ") accumulating chronological maturity. ”  She didn't really say that last three word phrase, but you get the idea. And, there's the issue of that bionic body part of hers. She did say, ”I'm hanging up my keys, but not my helmet. We can sell my Nighthawk. I love to Ride. I want to keep the ST.”

So, I've pickled her Nighthawk and her Z1-B for storage. I pine for my blue Nighthawk ("It's clearly more handsome!") sometimes, and still take it out for solo joyrides. But it's just not the same; I love Ridin' alone, but I loved sharing The Ride with Z1BEBE on her bikes more. I miss her headlight on my five.

“We can sell my Nighthawk.” That was hard to hear. But I get it.

Ride Your Own Ride.

After having Z1BEBE on her red Nighthawk ("It's prettier! "), on my five, her headlight in my right mirror for 74,000+ miles and three decades, I've developed an irrationally-deep sentimental attachment to our paired His n' Her Nighthawks. They represent a huge part of our life together, but yet are mere things. The memories we made & shared on the Nighthawks, the Z1's and 360 are what count.

World's Fair Park, Knoxville, TN.


At the well-known motorcycling mecca after Ridin' The Dragon.


Z1BEBE has well over 110,000 safe miles under her butt piloting her own bikes, beginning with that CB360T, then her '75 Z1-B and, 74,000+ miles piloting her '93 CB750 Nighthawk. For her to decide that the Autumn of her Ridin' career is ending, and hang up her keys is a totally honest way of embracing 'Ride Your Own Ride'.

I'm not there yet. My eighteen year old self still pilots a bike, be it solo or two-up, but 'accumulating chronological maturity' & experience has inevitably taught my younger self that my older self's reflexes, stamina and eyesight aren't what they used to be. I've slowed down noticeably. One advantage is that The Ride lasts longer. And it keeps Z1BEBE safer when we two-up on the ST1300.

The day will inevitably arrive when the Autumn of my Ridin' career comes to an end. There may be a three wheeler, maybe a Can-Am, to extend my season for a while, but there will be an end, whereupon I hang up my keys after having said to myself that final time, “Ride Your Own Ride”.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Nice write up and I love the old pics!

Awesome story and pics. ,and learning to ride your ride.  Love it..

To know ones self and when to quite is commendable. My girlfriend decided several years ago to stop riding her own bike. We had done many 5,000-6,000 mile trips which we enjoyed. Im not quite done yet but the topic comes up frequently in our group of older riders and I am starting to wrap my head around the possibility in the future. I have always owned 2-3 bikes and have been riding for 54 years so it will be a loss. I have many memories which I share with other riders as they share theirs with me. Your article shows the passion that you have had with motorcycling over the years. We can all hang on to those and enjoy them over and over.