And Then There Were Two...

For those that have read this from the beginning, you read how there was a series of events that led to some weird and random motorcycle purchases in the year since my Dad, brother, and I have been planning this.

This time last summer, my Dad had just purchased a Harley Davidson Road King.  After being primarily a rider of Honda Goldwings, his response when he test drove a Harley was amazing.  He said something to the effect of, “for all my life I have been riding and this [riding a Harley] is what a motorcycle experience should feel like.”  He was hooked and loved his Road King.

A month or so later, my brother, Steve, finished up his basic rider’s course and my Dad flew out to California to give him a hand in purchasing a brand new 2014 Harley Fat Bob.

Then a series things started to come unhinged.  In October, my Dad crashed on his Road King, totaling the motorcycle.  Fortunately both he and his wife were relatively okay.  But he was without motorcycle.

In May, Steve went down on his motorcycle.  Again, no real injuries, but needed repairs on his relatively new motorcycle.

As the summer approached, my Dad started talking like he may not ride to Sturgis, rather thinking that he might drive his truck as a kind of support vehicle for our trip.  While Steve and I supported whatever he wanted to do, we were disappointed in the idea of him not riding.

Well, a few weeks ago, he began looking at motorcycles, and in three short weeks bought three different motorcycles, ending up with a beautiful Harley Electra Glide.

Meanwhile, my brother’s motorcycle has toiled in the shop for just over 10 weeks.  Which was a ridiculous amount of time for the work that was being done.

Well, today Steve picked up his bike, and it is beautiful!

I say we are 2 of 3 right now because Steve has his bike, I have mine, but my Dad’s is in the shop getting some routine maintenance done before we take off.

Tomorrow, Steve will leave Southern California and start his trek east for our link up on Friday.

I am so excited that we are nearing execution of this trip.  You know, it’s not about the motorcycles, or the craziness that is potentially a part of a place like Sturgis, this is about an experience of us bonding together in a way that we haven’t done in our lives.

My Dad and Mom got divorced when I was young (I was the only child of their marriage), and when I was seven I went to live with my Mom and Step-Dad, so I never really spent any time with Steve at all.  In fact I completely fell out with my Dad for many years.

Once I was out and on my own, as a young Soldier stationed in Germany, I eventually reached out to my Dad and we rekindled our relationship and became stronger than ever, in fact, he was the best man at my wedding.  During this time, Steve and Dad were real close.  After a few years I left the Army and while Michelle and I lived in Southern California we all hung out when we could.

But, as life would have it, 9/11 happened, and I went back in the Army.  Steve would follow behind me and spend some time in one of the most elite combat units in the US Army.  After his time was up, Steve found himself married and had moved to Idaho.  Dad went through a real tough time, and an effect of this time was him and Steve became distant and eventually just stopped really talking at all.

This separation was hard to witness, so after a few years, Steve had reached out to me as he was coming to New York (where I was/am stationed) and I met him one morning after his flight came in and before he had to meet with some friends.

I went on a full court press for him to figure out whatever had been going on with him and Dad and that I would help kinda mediate to fix it.  Steve had grown and matured to the point where he was ready for this conversation, and needless to say, it went well, rocky at first, but in the end our little family unit is strong as ever.

It has been so great piecing this part of my family back together.  Divorce and death had fractured us so bad that any outsider looking in would have conceded defeat for us and just had us move on.  To our great fortune, that was not in the cards.

So here we are at the beginning of this epic trip (well, I’m about 1,900 miles into it).  As a father/son/brother team we have not ever really done anything like this, and I am really looking forward to our time on and off the road together.

Steve, if you read this before you leave, safe travels tomorrow.  You’re riding in an absolute furnace tomorrow as you cross the desert, stay safe, and we’ll see you in a few short days!