I did an inventory of my life 1.5 years ago after a dear friend died from cancer at 40 years old. He loved motorcycles, I had never ridden one. I decided at 44 I was heading into midlife crisis.
My wife has been nothing short of the best thing in the world, so my midlife crisis would not involve younger women. Young women don't dig short bald guys with hairy backs anyway, so I decided to throw my stupid behavior in the way of motorcycles. I took a MSF course and bought a Yamaha V-star 650 and never looked back. After one year of riding and 12, 000 miles experience, I decided to up the ante. I would test for my police department's motorcycle division. I was selected and went to motor school in January 2012. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I crushed my right foot on the first day of the second week when the KZ came across it. It swelled up huge (four broken bones) but I was not going to quit. If my friend could fight melanoma till the end, I could drag a club foot through motor school.
I made it through motor school at 45 years old, the oldest graduate in 30 years. But it wasn't enough. My buddy showed me an article about a hot new sport adventure bike from Yamaha called the Super Tenere. I could really up the ante now- ride a 2010 Concours 14 during the day (and get paid for it) and a 2012 ST at night and weekends. It didn't take much for the greatest wife in the world to agree. I ordered it and picked it up a few weeks later.
So my "handle" comes from my motorcycle experience- the midlife crisis which brought me to motorcycles and the "motor" nickname for PD motorcycle officers. R.I.P. Lance, you are always with me on my rides.
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