When I was just getting started with life and doing the things we need to do when you have a family, I was enjoying riding and being able to spend time on the road. Children start getting older and needing to spend time with thier dad. I had to spend less and less time on my bike and more and more time with my children. I don't regret any of the time I spent with my children, they mean the world to me. After a close call on my bike in 1977, I decided that I couldn't take the chance and not be here for my kids. I parked my bike and didn't get back on it again. The bike set for a couple of years and a friend ask what I intended to do with it and I told him "You can have it if you want it." The friend took the bike and rebuilt it and got it back on the road again. As any good friend would do, he sold the bike and we split it 50/50.

       Now here it is 32 years later, all of my kids have grown up, I have grandchildren that I spend time with now. (They are a lot more fun than their parents) But the main reason I'm writing this is the following. I have gotten back to riding. Boy were the first few weeks a pain in the *%#. I haven't been that sore since I learned to ride horses. But best of all is my youngest son rides, so he will swing back and get the old man to jump on the bike and feel young again, not that I feel old just different. Wait untill you ride with one of your children and see how they enjoy the ride and the way that they beam riding with their parents, you just couldn't be prouder. 

       My life has come full circle, there have been some ups and downs, but now I consider the best times are here for us to enjoy. 

      I hope everyone with a family will be as lucky as I have been.  

Although I didn't ride much in early life, a little dirt bike riding for a time, I too waited until my kids were grown and out of the house to begin my riding career.  I call it a career because when I retired from owning a hardware store I took some time off before I was going to look for a retirement business, maybe a B&B or someting like that.  Well during the time off my middle son talked me into buying a bike so we could ride together, and I did.

 

Well now that I have started I decided that riding is my new career  I spend most of my time on long weekend trips with my wife, but really look forward to those rides with my son.  We do a lot of rides to our favorite fishing spot and the time together is just great.

 

The only thing though is I find it hard to concentrate on anything but keeping an eye on him when we ride.  I know he is a 'big boy' and has a lot more riding experience than I do, but I still need to make sure he is riding safe!  You never stop being a dad!!!

 

 

 

I used to be able to ride with oldest son when I had an extra bike for him to ride. He is in to dirt bikes, and this old man breaks way too easy for that. I really did enjoy riding with my son, but like Dan said I would spend most of the time keeping on eye on him.

 

I do take my youngest for rides on the back of my RoadKing quite often and we both really enjoy that. He loves to go to Cook's Corner with me and look at all the bikes. Cook's is a great biker friendly place where you can feel comfortable bringing your son.

I was a lot like you guys, rode a lot till the family of three kids & wife, started getting the best of time and money. Sold my harley to pay some bills and fix up the house we just bought. Then the youngest got into racing motorcross, and the lil shit was good at it. So then I had to decide my harley or his racing, so I suported his racing. Anyways I now got two harleys and the youngest son rides with me to different places. The wife gave up on riding with me, but the son hasnt, lol. It's always fun to do father-son things. He's the one that got me into rock crawling w/ 4x4's.

I took my boy, 5yrs old, and my middle daughter, 7yrs old, on their first road ride the other day. Their feet can now touch the pegs. It felt so good it almost hurt to see the look in their beaming faces when we got back. Of course now every other question is can we go ride...........as "G" would say...Gid stuff!

both of my boys at a time have ridden with me, the oldest, now graduated from highschool and soon shipping to south carolina for army training is now talking about when he returns home buying a bike of his own and learning to ride, my youngest, almost 13 can hold up a 1200 custom, reach the floor and the pegs with no problem, and has told me that is what he wants. good times have brought about the potential for even better times. i can't wait to be cruising with my boys. eating up the blacktop! 

I know exactly what you are saying. I quit riding for a few years while my son was little. Whan he turned 17 I found an old Honda 550/4 in great shape for him to learn to ride and he took the ABATE classes. My son just turned 21 and the year before I bought a 98 V4 Magna to fix up for him with the help of friends. I gave him the bike on his 21st Birthday. We have always rode together when we both had the chance, but it is different now. To see the joy on his face as he rides with us old timers warms this fathers heart. Damn how they grow up fast and I have enjoyed every minute!!

Never got to ride with my son. His untimely demise has assured that I never will. BUT!!!! I have started his son, my Grandson at an early age (5 yrs) riding dirtbikes in the hopes that in another 9 years (if I live that long) we will ride together! If not, he'll inherit at least one Big American made V Twin and know how to ride it... Sarge....

my son has been ridding since he was five....and i took him on a few rides with me....but now since he is 14 and grew up around harleys and dirt bikes....he's wanting to get a 1200 nightster when he turns 16.....im like, well son you have to get your ass a job to pay for it along with insurance + gas......but i think i might help him out to get his first one so we can ride together....

I only got to ride with (along side) my Dad for a very short time before he passed and I made sure that my son learned to ride very young and got his Class M as soon as he turned 15 because I will not give up those years with my Son like I missed with my Dad. Have wonderful (and some not so) memories of riding with my Dad--he was quite the character! Suck up all those moments while you can cuz since my boy grew up and moved away--they are getting fewer and farther between!

My Grandson is now 7 years old. He weeds the garden, washes Nanna's Harley and does all the things he can to earn a few bucks to put in his "Bike Jar"... (got his own bank account at 4) Several days a month he's either riding with me, with her or on his dirtbike... Future Biker???? I'll betcha!!! Sarge...

A little late to the table on this one, but better off late than never. Some of the same story as the other but it’s with my step son. When I first met him and his mom I was riding. He always had a fascination with motorcycle and particular Harleys (I wasn’t riding one at the time). Well as the story goes as time when on the time on the bike shorten and it when to the back of the garage. Then several years ago he made his dream come true and purchased a new 2003 Fat boy. Well that got the gears going again. First with an old basket case of a 76 Sportster he found for me found for me that we both but time in on. That bike I still have and it my tinkering bike, work on it for 2 hours ride it for one. We now live about 75 miles apart from each other but there is nothing like riding with family. We get together several times a year (mostly me riding down to his house) and we do a ride together (with my Road King it not much of a ride more like a warm up). One of the few people I have no qualms riding side by side with. To top it all off on our last ride his teenage daughter rode with him now that was a site. Now that I write this it’s time to put together another ride soon.

I spent thirty plus years riding out in the local desert on bikes and the fondest memories i have of those times were the rides that i made with my son and daughter on our dirtbikes, my kids are all grown now and my son is away at college but he told me before he left that he wanted a harley one day, im thrilled to death about it and cant wait until we ride again as father and son and of course ill have to show him how just like when he was my boy and not the man he has become.

Like you guys said... I sold my last bike in '94. Was just retired from mil and had a family to care for, etc, etc. Now, the kids are all grown, and in college and I was able to get my RK this last May. I can't begin to describe the feelings I have when the youngest and I go for a ride. It's something to know that he is always there, just to my right and a little behind me (He says it's age before beauty, LOL). Especially today. We were riding side by side through town with flags (3'X5'flying! I don't know. I guess I just don't have the words.

Just for your info Badinfluence,  Once he gets to his regular duty station most bases have a Riders Edge course free for all troops.  Just thought I would let you know.

WOW- l really enjoy riding with my dad- but of course he is the one who got me started in the first place- and now being a father of 2 teenagers- i am sharing the joy of riding with them as well- both my kids like to go riding with me! its pretty cool to see their faces light up before a ride- and they too cant exactly put into words the feeling they get after a good ride!!!

Never started riding until all the kids were grown and the hubby got a new harley in 01, RK. After about 6 mo. I wanted to get my own. Had only one or two rides on my own on a 350 Honda when I was a kid. I started out on a new 1200 sporty, 2 yrs later went to a softtail deuce then to my now 07 RK Classic. The best it's ever gotten is riding to Sturgis and to Az. Bike Week w/my younger daughter on her sporty and my only son on his 04 nighttrain. We had a blast and every time my daughter comes down from her place in Stmboat Sprgs, Colorado we go for rides using her boyfriends 2010 Fat Bob. It's some of the best times w/my kids!! Nothing better!!

I started riding after my dad died. Never thought I would ever do anything that "crazy". I love it so much. Total freedom and no stress. When I had a little time in the seat I started takin my son with me, couldnt understand why everyone was freakin on me, he was 6 at the time. He has his own dirt bike now, he's 11. We have a build started, my son and I. His dad dont ride,no one else in our family rides. Just him and I, I love when we can ride together, he understands it. I like to ride alone but I enjoy havin him with me just as much. There are a lot of lessons in life that can be found in the saddle with your face in the wind.

Isn't it incredible our different life stories. I used to ride big miles (on my own) up and down the East Coast of Australia - Melbourne - Sydney - Brisbane as part of my work. Then I teamed up with my partner (still my wife) and did some big miles together. Bought house in Brisbane- got destroyed in '87 mini cyclone - sold bike to repair house - had children - now grown - (25, 23, 21, 18) and have come back to cruising - In the early days had to do 600 -650 miles a day to get to where I needed to be,,, today cruising down a three lane highway going to work against the traffic...no time... no pressure just the pleasure of once again being able to ride and ride and ride....

Went for a ride today with my son Kieran (22)...never again ! dirty little fecker passed me on the motorway doing at least 100...I know, i was doing 90... humiliation when we went for a beer later was too much, and of course he didn't say a word to all my mates in the bar !!!!

Did not want my children to ride. - There are enough things out there that will kill you w/o dragging them to one more.
Taught them how to drive too fast, in the wrong places on the theory they would not want to do something their father did. - It worked, they drive very sensibly, doubt that they have a ticket between them.
Now that my son has done his duty & made grandbabies I would be pleased were he to take up riding but doubt that he will. Has a wife that 1. Is still giddy, teenage in love w/ him & 2. Hates motorcycles

Like looking in a mirror Rory?  Lol (o:

Probably right Choco...but telling all me pals that he left me in his wake, well...thats just not right ! I'm trying to convince Liz to stop making him dinner for a week, just to teach him the error of his ways....but thats difficult when she can't cook from laughing at me !! I cant even escape to the pub...they have a photo of it!

Rory, that is so not fair! Is why my kid's bike is smaller and slower than mine! LOL