when did it first happen to you?

We were discussing the other day during Goldfinger, who was the best Bond?  And it just happened to be the first one you saw.  For us oldsters in was Sean Connery, for those in between Roger Moore, no one remembers Timothy Dalton, and a whole new generation thinks Remington Steele, I mean Pierce Brosnan is Bond at his best.  But we base Bond on the first Bond movie we saw, so Sean, brother, you are the consummate Bond for me.  Roger tried, the others, well they are still others.  No one is or was as suave and smooth as Connery, and even as he got older, never lost his touch.  When did it happen to me?  Rialto Theatre in Westfield, Goldfinger, at age 12, with the guys in the neighborhood.  The older ones describing what was going on, there was sex, violence, gadgets, sex, and more sex.  We all wanted to be 007....at least until we were old enough to ride. 

A friend had a Honda 50, then a Kawasaki.  Tough guys rode Harleys, cool guys rode Triumphs, and they were the last vestige of the once powerful British Empire’s reign over motorcycles.  Names like Honda were replacing them some were even fortunate enough to by pass minibikes, and go right to a small Yamaha or Suzuki.  Depending upon where you lived, and the closest dealer, that is what you rode.  And if your friend rode a Kawi, then he was in at the Kawasaki shop, and they treated you better, just don’t park a Honda out front.  The only shops were single marque shops, although some still held onto their BSA and Royal Enfield franchises, even though the bikes were no more.  Bicycle shops sold Suzukis, Hondas were sold from garages, and Yamahas sold with BMW’s at a bicycle store.  Sporting good stores sold them too, as most were under 100cc, and cheap, under $250.  And like your choice of Bond, when you started riding defined your Golden Age.  Anything older was old, anything newer was compared to it, and for me 1972, when I got my license is when it all began.  I had been riding for 5 years, but my first bike, a new 1972 Honda CB350 is where all comparisons start and end.  So when talking with a friend who is sales manager for a multi line dealer, about 10 years younger, we commented on the new bikes, and our memories of when we started.  What excited us, and how new bikes sometimes just don’t do it, although performance wise they are superior, and more reliable.  How many would push their bike home as we did then, if it broke?  How many would still ride if they had to wait for parts, with writing in Japanese on them?  Ever replace an inner throttle cable?  Change the points, and condensor?  Set the timing?  Every 6000 miles?  We did, no checking the oil by looking at a sight glass, or even going on reserve, a light tells us no when we need gas, and a gauge tells us miles to empty.  Battery low, we used to kickstart them, and the smaller bikes would only kick start!  Ever pinch a tube on a Saturday night after the shop closed?  We patched many a tube for Sunday riding, stopping every half hour to refill it, but we rode.  No turn signals, shift or right or left, some 1 up, the rest down, some the opposite.  You learned to ride...no MSF class to get your license, you learned from friends, in back alleys, school parking lots, and where you wouldn’t attract the police.  Under a buck to fill up, and riding a motorcycle instantly made you the most loved, envied, hated, and disrespected all at once.  You were branded a hood, memories of Brando persisted, and you were thought to be part of a gang.  But you found out about brotherhood, girls dug you, and you understood freedom.  Wind in the face while wearing your Buco GT open face, maybe a leather, but usually a windbreaker.  So when did it first happen to you?  What do you remember?  When was your Golden Age?  When did your first good time roll?  When did you meet the nicest people?  Did you ever Solo Suzuki?  And to a whole new generation the good old days haven’t yet begun.  What will they remember?  What brands will they have loyalty to?  Sean or Roger?  Maybe Pierce or Daniel Craig.  But whoever, their first will never be forgotten. And the benchmark for future Moneypenny’s and motorcycles.

When did Jesus first happen to you?  Maybe at church or Sunday school.  Maybe a VBS.  But for me it was on a beach in Venice, running when a man told me about Jesus.  During the Jesus People Revolution, and when we got saved, our lives changed.  Suddenly we went to Bible studies, church, we quit drinking, cussing, and chasing girls.  We wanted to please God, but at times it was hard.  Nice guys didn’t ride, but many of us did.  And we found fellowship together, when we met.  Selling motorcycles at Motorsport in Albuquerque, my friend Brett used to bring other Christians by to see me, like I was a side show.  The first bike I sold was to a Christian, and it opened up the door for more fellowship.  My whole world revolved around Jesus, then motorcycles, and I was immersed in true brotherhood.  I had learned from riding about our brotherhood of bikers, but with Jesus it became a true brotherhood of believers.  My Golden Age began at 21, and when sharing today with younger, they wonder how it was.  How excited we got when the first real Christian music from groups like Parable, John Fisher, Second Chapter of Acts, and Daniel Amos changed our listening habits.  How when the first Christian radio station in Albuquerque KLYT came on, and we knew everyone there.  A far cry from the many stations and artists recording today.  Hanging out at The Wharf, a Christian coffeehouse, long before Starbucks redefined them.  We were called Jesus Freaks, Bible thumpers, and many lives were changed.  We read, we studied, we prayed, we fellowshipped, and many of us were brought up on Acts 2:42.  If you invited one, you got us all.  And even though we all went to many different churches, we had Jesus in common.  Almost 40 years of salvation later, I still look ahead.  And after 47 years of riding, I still look back.

Motorcycles have never become boring to me, although the price of admission is greater.  And with more power, better handling, more accessories, and more riders, maybe a new Golden Age is here.  It will be for many getting their first bike, taking their first trip, and becoming part of a brotherhood.  But for me Jesus is still it, maybe even more exciting today than when I first believed.  The price of admission is still the same, and with many new fellowships, it is easy to find one to fit you.  But an even more Golden Age awaits all who believe, the Rapture, our final ride on earth, from earth.  Reserved for those who believe, who are part of a family.  Who said yes to Jesus, no to sin, and wait patiently for his return.  Well, maybe some less patient than others.  But our brotherhood grows everyday, and as I get older I see how important the older guys like us are.  Sharing, leading, teaching, and showing the way.  A witness of how Jesus Christ can change a life for the best.  And although many who were my riding heroes are not riding or gone, we know what lies ahead. 

So what are the best times?  Maybe not as easy to remember as the best Bond, but we have a bond with Christ making every day our best.  I once wanted to be James Bond, then Steve McQueen.   Now I want Jesus first and foremost.  Bonds will come and go, so will motorcycle brands.  But Jesus never changes....the good old days are here now.  And tomorrow, just like they were yesterday.  I think that deserves a ride.  Jesus and motorcycles, it just don’t get any better.

love with compassion,

Mike

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