Thought I would share the story of how my Dad got his Gremlin/Guardian Bell on his bike. My dad bought his first ever and only bike, up until this year, back in 1976. It was a 76 Honda CB360T. Dad rode that thing everywhere. At some point along the way, the electric start gave out and he used the kick start on it. Not much to kick over a 360. Dad eventually gave the bike to me as it had sat for a number of years without being used. I fixed it all up and gave it back to him on Father's Day the next year. Then a few years later the kick start shaft broke, and well, that was all she wrote for the bike. Dad didn't want to put money into it and Mom didn't like him riding it anymore. So it sat in his storage barn for quite a few years, until he sold it to a neighbor who fixed it and rode that thing out to California... Dad has always had the desire to ride, but Mom would have none of it.
Last year, my Mom passed away after a battle with cancer. They had been married 48 years and 6 months when she passed away. This year, Dad (now pushing 74) got the bug to ride again. He still works almost full time driving a bus for the schools around here. He supposedly retired about 9 years ago. He has been looking at bikes off and on for the better part of the past 8 months or so. We went to look at a couple back in March at a dealer 95 miles away. Seems he was drawn to a couple they had down there, so I went along with him in case he decided to get one. We looked at a couple of them and Dad really like this 09 Vulcan 900 Classic with a Cobra exhaust on it. He ended up deciding right then and there that was the bike he wanted and purchased it on the spot.
After all the paperwork was done we went out to get it ready for the ride home. I rode it as he has not ridden any bike in quite a long time, and this was much bigger than anything he has ever owned, so he asked me to ride it home for him... Kinda had to twist my arm, but not really. Anyway, while we were looking it over closer I noticed a guardian bell hanging below the brake pedal, and it just so happened to be a cancer awareness bell. I guess that was Mom's way of saying it was okay for him to have his bike. I am sure she will have something to say when they see each other again, but until then, Dad is having fun on his bike with Mom as his guardian.
