1-up
08-13-2010, 07:08 PM
Over the years have ridden one motorcycle and for a period also had a sidecar on the machine. At one point, imported leading link forks for sidecars, however that is in the distant past. The one motorcycle was a 1981 Honda Goldwing modified to fit me. Said machine last year was tired, needed major work and riding was no longer possible.
In the early spring of the year of my 60th birthday was diagnosed with Lupus (a rare condition for men) and on the weekend before the North American Labour Day weekend was diagnosed with stage three C renal cancer. Surgery followed November of that year losing the left kidney, half the spleen and lymph nodes in the chest cavity. Eight hours on the table. Chemo every three weeks started the following January. Not good!
Spring came and went and weakness was the predominating factor. The motorcycle, now a solo machine stayed in the garage, covered. When i did walk by, made sure it did not kick me due for lack of use.
The chemo concluded mid-summer, and due to the Lupus was then placed on what may be described as a booster chemo, 12 doses, three months apart. Said treatment ended recently. There are major side effects, mostly weakness, and a damaged heart due to the massive influx of chemicals. Breathing is difficult, especially when even just walking,
a four wheel walker is on order, giant size. No auxiliary oxygen tank either, the damage is to the lower heart, and not reversible or repairable.
The beloved Goldwing was sold in the fall of 2009. Assumed I would never be able to ride again and a sidecar was not in the equation
Tried to sit on a Ural sidecar rig at a dealer north of Erin Ontario, dwarfed the poor small machine. Keep in mind a full dress two wheel anything looks like a child's scooter when I sit on it. Had thought of a new Goldwing
however they have shrunk in size as well and even sitting on the passenger's seat I could not even get my legs behind the fairing, and it was costly. A Harley-Davidson was considered, it was even smaller than the Goldwing. At six foot eight inches tall and change, and pushing 400 pounds, nothing fits, not clothes, or doorways or automobiles nor motorcycles.
Due to continuing issues, decided to dispose of everything to do with motorcyling, it would never happen again.
One day coming home from the local cancer treatment hospital this orange thing passed me in the outside lane, going well over the limit of 100 kilometres an hour. Now I wasn't going slowly sitting at 120k but this thing was moving! The operator was wearing a T-shirt and pants, a shorty helmet and then he was gone up the 407 toll road.
Hmnn, that wasn't my grandfather's Morgan that's for sure! Located a
dealer in Ayr Ontario (I don't believe they still are a dealer) and took my helmet and borrowed a Spyder. It was not comfortable (heck, nothing is, even my 11 year old Honda Civic had to be modified to fit me) but the stability factor, wow! Drove home and thought, OK, where do we go from here?
My medical specialists have all advised me to not make any firm decisions now, on anything. I hit my year of remission mid-September this year. The Lupus has affected both my physical balance and my leg joints. I still tire very easily and will apparently for the rest of my life. Was one of those who always wore full leathers when riding, never chaps, and of course given my size, textile protection is not made for elephants. My full face helmet is size 8 & 3/4for gosh sakes and I wear my hair (what is left after chemo)very short.
So I shall lurk and think, and save my sheckels, and maybe come the spring of 2011 review my future. have some friends who feel I am missing
continued years of fun by not riding. Maybe so, however three wheels are better than two, especially out front, and the background of the manufacturer is important. Oh and the device is Canadian, very important.
Just surprised most of the dealers in Ontario are well away (with one or two exceptions) from the population centres of the province. Must have something to do with the heredity of the machine, snow!
In the early spring of the year of my 60th birthday was diagnosed with Lupus (a rare condition for men) and on the weekend before the North American Labour Day weekend was diagnosed with stage three C renal cancer. Surgery followed November of that year losing the left kidney, half the spleen and lymph nodes in the chest cavity. Eight hours on the table. Chemo every three weeks started the following January. Not good!
Spring came and went and weakness was the predominating factor. The motorcycle, now a solo machine stayed in the garage, covered. When i did walk by, made sure it did not kick me due for lack of use.
The chemo concluded mid-summer, and due to the Lupus was then placed on what may be described as a booster chemo, 12 doses, three months apart. Said treatment ended recently. There are major side effects, mostly weakness, and a damaged heart due to the massive influx of chemicals. Breathing is difficult, especially when even just walking,
a four wheel walker is on order, giant size. No auxiliary oxygen tank either, the damage is to the lower heart, and not reversible or repairable.
The beloved Goldwing was sold in the fall of 2009. Assumed I would never be able to ride again and a sidecar was not in the equation
Tried to sit on a Ural sidecar rig at a dealer north of Erin Ontario, dwarfed the poor small machine. Keep in mind a full dress two wheel anything looks like a child's scooter when I sit on it. Had thought of a new Goldwing
however they have shrunk in size as well and even sitting on the passenger's seat I could not even get my legs behind the fairing, and it was costly. A Harley-Davidson was considered, it was even smaller than the Goldwing. At six foot eight inches tall and change, and pushing 400 pounds, nothing fits, not clothes, or doorways or automobiles nor motorcycles.
Due to continuing issues, decided to dispose of everything to do with motorcyling, it would never happen again.
One day coming home from the local cancer treatment hospital this orange thing passed me in the outside lane, going well over the limit of 100 kilometres an hour. Now I wasn't going slowly sitting at 120k but this thing was moving! The operator was wearing a T-shirt and pants, a shorty helmet and then he was gone up the 407 toll road.
Hmnn, that wasn't my grandfather's Morgan that's for sure! Located a
dealer in Ayr Ontario (I don't believe they still are a dealer) and took my helmet and borrowed a Spyder. It was not comfortable (heck, nothing is, even my 11 year old Honda Civic had to be modified to fit me) but the stability factor, wow! Drove home and thought, OK, where do we go from here?
My medical specialists have all advised me to not make any firm decisions now, on anything. I hit my year of remission mid-September this year. The Lupus has affected both my physical balance and my leg joints. I still tire very easily and will apparently for the rest of my life. Was one of those who always wore full leathers when riding, never chaps, and of course given my size, textile protection is not made for elephants. My full face helmet is size 8 & 3/4for gosh sakes and I wear my hair (what is left after chemo)very short.
So I shall lurk and think, and save my sheckels, and maybe come the spring of 2011 review my future. have some friends who feel I am missing
continued years of fun by not riding. Maybe so, however three wheels are better than two, especially out front, and the background of the manufacturer is important. Oh and the device is Canadian, very important.
Just surprised most of the dealers in Ontario are well away (with one or two exceptions) from the population centres of the province. Must have something to do with the heredity of the machine, snow!