Ride what you have or can afford!!!

Hello fellow Jesters, I hope that this message finds you well. We all have that dream car or that dream motorcycle. Some of them are attainable to us right now, some of them will take a little bit of overtime and some penny pinching. Then there are those that will take only the correct lotto numbers for the vehicle to end up in our garage. The problem with waiting for that dream car or bike is that you might end up wasting a lot of time and if my 44 years have taught me anything it is that time is priceless.

Yes, we all have a certain ride that we desire, a certain look that we may prefer over others but too many of us get caught up in having that ideal ride. We tell ourselves that once we get that certain bike or car then and ONLY then we are a REAL motorcycle rider or a real hot rod guy. Truth is, that is a bunch of bull.

Being a biker starts the moment you begin to show an interest in motorcycles, the day that you start surrounding yourself with the motorcycle culture and then there is that most memorable day; when you finally throw your leg over the seat and ride that bike. It does not matter if it is the freakishly fast rocket that is the 2023 Suzuki Hayabusa or an older GS 1100. You may hope to one day own a Harley Davidson Fat Boy but you will be riding just the same on a Sportster. The moment you to hear the engine and feel the vibration, from the instant you start to roll out in first gear and then the when you start to accelerate and that feeling of the wind on your face… guess what? You are now a biker!!

The same applies to muscle cars and hot rods. Maybe a Corvette has always been your dream car? They have made the Corvette for 70 years now!! Many of those years are quite affordable and obtainable. The same goes for Mustangs and the Camaro. It may not be your ultimate dream year and model but I bet you once you get behind the wheel on the open road you’ll forget all that. Once you customize it a little bit and make it yours then you truly enjoy it regardless that it might not be your so-called “Dream” car. There are so many classic cars out there that maybe need a little work, are not the most popular body styles or sought after years, that are just waiting for someone to pick them up and enjoy.

Another problem i see all the time is people who do obtain a nice motorcycle or car but never use it because it is not perfect yet. Reality check… it will never be perfect. There will always be a chip in the paint, a little surface rust on a lower quarter panel or a seat with a tear in it. Those little blemishes do not make the ride any less cool. Nor will they take away from the enjoyment!! Believe me, very few people notice.

in closing, it is important to have dreams that we strive for, goals that we are working towards. But it is just as important to live in the moment to the fullest, to enjoy the things we have and to get use out of them. Ride that bike damn it!! Ride it like you were the third friend in Easy Rider. Throw the family in the car, crank up the radio and go for a cruise. Be proud of these rides and show them off!