You bet your sweet behind, I'm biker trash

No, I wasn't raised biker trash, I just became biker trash. When I first met Jake, he had, I believe a '92 Sportster. For the first year we were together, and the first month or so we were married, that bike was our only transportation. It was Arizona, we could get away with it. Then in 1998 Jake bought me my first Harley for our second wedding anniversary. It was a 1987 black-cherry sportser.



I loved that bike. It gave me the freedom to just get up and go when ever I felt like it.

When we lived in Arizona we were very active in our local H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group) chapter. We planned, volunteered for, and ran many events including poker runs and bike rodeos. For the last few years we were there, our chapter organized and ran the bike games for the state rally. Our H.O.G. chapter was our second family.

Then in 2002 I talked Jake into leaving Arizona for greener (literally)pastures. We sold my bike to help pay for moving expenses and headed to Illinois. The first year we were here we joined a local chapter, but they were just too big. They were organized to the point of chaos. They had many small day trips, but no large event like we were used to. It was very hard for us to fit in, so we drifted away. We became solitary riders. Independent from any group. Jake and I rode into Milwaukee by ourselves for the 100th anniversary. We rode all over the southern and middle of Wisconsin that week. Always on our own. While it was fun, it just wasn't the comradare we loved in Arizona.

This year, with the soaring gas prices, we have started growing our own little biker gang. One of the Sgt's Jake works with went out and bought himself a full dresser, then his neighbor went out and bought a bike. Suddenly it's "Hey, Jake, when are we gonna go ridding?" and Jake answers, "When you can ride for more than 30 miles at a time" and they laugh.

Then our buddies down the street traded their Honda Shadow in for a full dresser so the wife would be more comfortable on the back. Now it's the same thing, "Hey guys, when are we going to go ridding?" It has taken us 5 years to find a small group of friends we can ride with on a regular basis.

Then about two weeks ago We are told a guy in town is selling his bike for a very reasonable price. We think, well the car will be paid off in 10 weeks, why don't we try for it. We get the call from the bank and Jake is the proud owner of a 1995 dresser (I don't know the model).

And I get my own bike once more.

What is really funny about our bikes is, because they are only a year apart, the colors and the pinstripes match, exactly. No, it wasn't planned.