It's Only Bench Racing Now

Restored 1976 250WR Husqvarna

While working at DuPont in the late 1990s I got to know a skilled welder and mechanic, Joe Wright.  Joe was a motocross racer in his younger days.  Periodically we would spend time "bench racing".  Joe was a Penton rider and I had told him about my old Husky in the barn.  During our periodic discussions Joe would suggest that I should get the old bike restored.  Since it had not been ridden in nearly 20 years and had been completely underwater in a couple of floods that completely engulfed the barn, I didn't give it much thought.  One day in 2003 Joe again brought up subject.  I asked him if he wanted to do it and to my surprise, he said, "Yes!".  

Several weeks later I loaded the sad looking bike and took it too him.  I fully expected Joe to say, "My bad, take it back home".  Joe worked on the bike in his free time and would occasionally call to get my approval to do something.   After about a year, it was ready to go.  After taking turns kick starting and pushing it down the street, it fired up.  Ah, Man, that two cycle ring a ding sound and smell of burning premix fuel got my adrenaline going.  

During that year I had been given an incentive opportunity to retire.  I had planned to work a couple of more years, but the offer was too good to turn down.  The timeline to my retirement and the final stages of the restoration were running parallel.  By the time I retired I had no hobbies.  I had given up golf, running, racquetball and stamp collecting.  I didn't hunt or fish. Facebook, fantasy football and blogging weren't in my future.  My kids were grown.  I had sold all of my rental property.  I needed a hobby  Why not dirt biking?  I had taken the Husky on a couple of rides, but I knew I didn't want to tear it up.  So a found a good deal on a "new" Suzuki DR350. 

Keep in mind I had not ridden since 1982.  Dirt Bike technology had progressed significantly during the last 20 years.  I rode the bike around the neighborhood and hit some of the short trails around the house.  I did manage to lay the bike down by the bayou when I hit a log I failed to see.  I did get a pretty nasty burn on my leg.   This bike was much faster, heavier and the seat height greater than my Husky. 

Recalling the excitement from thirty years earlier, I decided to enter a family enduro sponsored by the Houston Trail Riders in Sam Houston National Forest.  I bought a new helmet and boots, found an old jersey, kidney belt and shoulder pads.  We spent the night near Conroe and headed to the staging area early in the morning.  They even had an over 60 class.  As hard as I tried I could not get the bike to start.  So, we volunteered to help out the organizers and went home that afternoon.

Two weeks later Linda and I went back to Sam Houston to do some play riding.  I had some maps of the park.  It was a beautiful day.  Linda brought her books and I took off alone on some trails.  The woods trails were dry and not too difficult.  I knew I was old and out of shape and on a machine well above my current level.  I started out slowly just wanting to enjoy the woods and the feel of the bike between my legs.  The more I rode, the more my confidence returned.  Pretty soon I was riding over my head, washed out on a berm and hit the ground pretty hard.  My leg was sore but not a show stopper.  I got back to the truck and still felt good.  I told my wife I was going to make another loop.
I got lost.  It turned out I crossed a paved road and mistook it for the one we came on.  By now my groin was starting to really ache.  I stopped a few times to check my map and each time the groin was hurting more and more.  It was getting really difficult to start the bike.  I finally found someone to give me directions to get back.  By now I had covered 50 miles and I wasn't sure how many miles I could get out of a tank of gas.  I finally got back and I was hurting so bad, I had to get help to load the bike on the trailer.  Linda drove home.

The next day I could barely walk.  I went to the doctor and I has some major soft tissue tears to the groin muscle.  I was pretty much confined to the house for the next month.  After recovering, I had to try it again.  I took the new bike and the Husky to a local motocross track.  No one was there, so I decided to ride anyway.  Well, next day I was back at the doctor after falling again.   I had a broken thumb and rib.  I concluded the new bike was too heavy and powerful for me.  In addition, I was not in very good shape nor very coordinated any more.  It was then that I decided to buy my first street bike. 

Several years later, while recovering from my first knee replacement, I answered an employment ad at a local motorcycle dealership.  Four years later I am still working there part time.  I love going to work everyday.  Only problem I keep buying toys.