So what do I see?
I have always been told I see things differently and until my direction in the past few years I was not sure what folks I met meant by that. Now, as I grow older and am looking more at things that interest me as opposed to doing whatever it took to move forward, I find myself involved in issues different that I see many others doing.
OK, lets talk motorcycles. In 1973, I was living in an apartment complex were a pile of bikers made their home. I was driving a 1972 Pinto station wagon which I felt was a pretty efficient means of transportation. "Harley" the lead biker liked me even though I did drive a Pinto. They would sit out on their step, drink beer, cuss and talk about their motorcycles. They kept telling me to get a bike said that it would change my life. So one day I found a Honda 125 basket case and brought it home in the back of my Pinto. Harley ran (or staggered as it were) and slapped me on the back and said I was gonna be a real biker someday. He carried that pile of bolts up my steps to my second floor apartment (that was good because I was wondering how I would get the bike up those steps into my spare bedroom). I started work and some weeks later, I threw a battery to the heap and wonders never cease, the thing started. Harley sprang up the steps threw open my door (there were no locks on the doors, they had all been bashed in at some point in the past) jumped on my poor little critter and actually rode it down the steps and was dragging his wallet chain on the pavement as he did wheel stands in the parking lot as all his buddies were yelling and pouring beer down my throat. From there I rode with them many times, I ended up being their mascot. They protected me and for someone on a 125cc bike in the early 70's that was a great feature of our relationship.
I tried a few wellies but found I really liked having 2 wheels on the ground, my style of riding emerged probably from winding out that little scooter while Harley and the guys surrounding me were lug, lug, lugging along. I found I loved to cruise, didn't noot to go fast, didn't need to be first out of the light, I was please with simply getting there, having the wind in my face the whole way and attracting people hiding behind their rolled up windows in their cars staring at me and I think wondering what it would be like to trade places.
Fast forward to today, after riding a 1975 Triumph Trident then a 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing for many years, I am looking through an antique motorcycle magazine, minding my own business and there it was-- CJ750 motorcycle, a side view of what I saw as a roots of the cycle world military styled, BMW looking serious bike that started all the hoopra about riding a motorcycle. It looked like the "real deal". Maybe from watching too many episodes of Rat Patrol on TV but I had always had a week spot for a military desert tan style side car motorcycle. Well, side car or not I saw that era of motorcycle as the style of machine that put the wander lust in the minds of the returning soldiers from WWII. This is what I was told as being the true beginnings of it all, the Hells Angles, wearing goggles and an aviators helmet or at least a pilots captians hat while riding a stripped down bike just like the ones they rigged up "over there". The CJ I was looking at in the picture brought all of those things up in me and I instantly wanted one.
Searching on the internet I found a whole subculture of folks rebuilding war time European and Eastern block utilitarian motorcycles. There were the Royal Enfields designed in Britian being built in India, Urals from the Soviet Union coming together in Yugoslavia and then there was the CJ's hailing from China. I started reading about the heritage of these machines, why they came about, where their roots were from and the history to present day that told of the 1.6 million copies made for the PLA by the Chinese.
I found there were several people rebuilding them and offering them in different configurations to us consumers here in the states. I learned of the pitfalls of purchasing things like this overseas and of some of the nightmares involved in take a chance and sending money overseas to purchase something before it has been seen. This sort of trust scared me, it was amazing that there was no other way to see and purchase a CJ than by a huge leap of faith like this. Finally after many hours of searching, making inquiring phone calls, lurking on web sites and asking questions-- I took the plunge and ordered a 12 volt, electric start, flat head, tan military style side car CJ750. I purposely didn't tell anyone what I was doing because on the surface it looked like I had finally stepped over the brink of the black hole and done something really crazy-- but my wanting overcame my fears and I did it.
After what seemed like forever, one day the shippers
called and was ready to deliver my 837 pound crate direct from the docks at
Beijing.
There is was, wrapped up-- the anticipation was drawing me to break that box
open but first we had to get it off the truck. With a little help from my
friends-- we pulled that off, it wasn't pretty but it none the less hit the
ground
All of a sudden, my excitement was complete, I had my desert tan military
motorcycle
and the wait was well worth it.
This is the excitement that brought me to where I am today with my CJ and I have to tell ya I feel stroger than ever that there are other people out there like me itching to experience what it's like to have a machine such as this. It matters not to me that it seems I am taking a different patch than the rest of the Motorcycle community, I gett looks and smiles of appreciation wherever I ride. The general consumer looks at my CJ and is instantly impressed with it's style-- I guess they recognize the significance the machine represents.
I am so impressed with the feel of the bike and how it makes me feel riding it that I want to make it easier for others to experience this for themselves and in the bargain I can add to the CJ community. If you wonder what it would be like to truly own and ride on a daily basis a real piece of historic iron, you just gotta have one of these!