How did I wind up here?
Many, many… many moons ago, I began wrenching. I suppose it started with my first bicycle that, as best as I can remember it- my parents bought for me, from a local guy that took different bikes and put them together to make pretty cool, custom built bikes. Now, there wasn’t a “custom bicycle scene” back then, no, this was back in the late 1970’s and a custom built bike was cheaper than a mainstream bike like a Schwinn, Huffy or Mongoose. I didn’t truly appreciate it until years later, when I realized that it was a one-off bike and that no one else had one like it. I still have it, by the way.
Back then, a kid’s bike was his ticket to explore the world. We could go as far as our little legs would take us, as long as we were back home by the time the street lights came on. It was awesome growing up in the ‘80’s- no cell phones, no computers, and no video games (yeah, we had Atari, but we weren’t that interested in being inside when there was a whole world of stuff to get into). We climbed trees, went fishing, looked for weird bugs and played in the dirt- life was grand and summers were the best time of the year.
But, even the best bikes got flat tires and, we were at a time in our lives when we were growing… so dad’s tool box was one of our best resources to fix those flat tires, tighten the chains and adjust the seat heights and handlebars of our trusty steeds. My dad’s Craftsman tool chest was the best, too. Before I was born, dad worked as a welder and a mechanic and he had a tool for just about any job. When we moved South, dad had to sell off a lot of his heavy-duty stuff, but he kept the essentials and I grew up using those tools, as much as (or maybe even more than) he did. I went from turning wrenches on my bikes, to working on go-carts, dirt bikes, and ultimately- my cars.
Growing up
I’m not a mechanic, not by trade, anyway… not anymore. I grew up in a single-income household, so we didn’t have a lot of money. Don’t get me wrong- it was glorious- dad worked and supported the family while mom stayed home and took care of the house, the kids, the meals and keeping it all together. They worked together- each doing their part and both making sacrifices to ensure the overall success and happiness of the family. As a result, we never went hungry, we grew up close and we grew up with a sense of security. But, not having much money, meant that we didn’t have a lot of material things- our cars were older and dad was the repairman for, quite literally, everything that broke- appliances, cars, lawnmowers, you name it. You see, when you don’t have a lot of money, you have to do be the mechanic, the contractor, the electrician, the plumber, the cook… you get the idea. As a result, each of us kids learned a little about everything, and a lot about some things. I took to mechanical work like a duck to water. I found an incredible sense of gratification from replacing a water pump, or rebuilding a carburetor. It seemed to come naturally to me… I didn’t mind getting grease on my hands or busting my knuckles on an exhaust manifold. In fact, I considered it a badge of honor. In junior high, I met a girl that I knew was going to be my wife one day, and by graduation, she was my girl and she knew it, too.
I didn’t have any real plans for the future, but I knew I was good at mechanic work, so for our first anniversary, she bought me a huge Craftsman mechanic’s tool set! I worked a few jobs after high school, a couple of them being a non-certified mechanic jobs at local shops. I enjoyed them, but as life tends to do, my career goals changed and I found myself trying out a few different jobs and ultimately, found myself being called to a “job” that would ultimately become my career for the next 24 years. I never gave up wrenching though- from oil changes and brake replacements on the family trucksters, to body work on wrecked vehicles, to repairing and maintaining motorcycles- all using that same tool set that she bought me all those years ago… with a few extras that were added along the way.
A couple of years ago, I was able to convince my boss to send me to Harley-Davidson University in Milwaukee for some motorcycle tech schools. Those classes not only helped me in maintaining our motorcycles at work, but they have also given me the knowledge, confidence and experience to work on my personal bikes, and the bikes of friends, too. I’ve also been blessed with becoming a certified motorcycle operator and instructor… something that has benefited me a hundred times over.
Hold my beer
One of my fondest memories as a kid, was dad saying “hold my beer” as he showed me how to fix something. I would hold his beer, as he showed me what to do, then he’d say, “now, your turn.” I’d finish replacing the brakes, or the alternator, or whatever it was that we were working on, as he carefully watched (and often corrected me) to make sure I did it right. The feeling of accomplishment when the job was done was incredible! The “I did that” feeling is something that I still chase to this day. In my chosen career, it’s not the same. The “things” I have had to try to fix over the course of my career, aren’t often tangible things…not like replacing brakes or rebuilding a carburetor.
Over the past few years, though, my reputation for being “the motorcycle guy” and someone that is pretty handy with a set of wrenches, has given me the opportunity to recapture that feeling, once again. Several years ago, I bought a second-hand air-over-hydraulic motorcycle lift in order to help me work on my personal motorcycles. Having a lift makes all the difference, by the way. If you’re one that does his/her own maintenance… it will pay for itself after just a few riding seasons. With my reputation of working on my own bikes, my experience working on the bikes at work, and my passion for two-wheelers, I’ve had several friends, and friends of friends, reach out for help on their bikes. As I’ve been able, I’ve been happy to help. For a friend of a friend, I’ll charge a reasonable fee for my time, but for a friend, I’m hesitant to ask for any money. I wasn’t raised to try to profit from friends or family. Now, to be completely honest, that’s been to my detriment more than once, but I counted those as lessons learned and sometimes, a lesson learned is more valuable than money.
As a dad, I’ve been able to see my sons apply those “hold my beer” lessons they got growing up, to their own adult lives. My oldest has decided to put his repair skills to work as a professional automotive (and soon to be motorcycle) mechanic and my youngest, has applied his repair skills to a profession that allows him to fix people. I don’t think I could be more proud of the men they’ve become, and I know my dad was, and would be, proud of them, too.
The next chapter
As my current career path (my “payin’ gig”, as I call it), nears it’s natural end, I’m looking toward the future with anticipation of what’s to come. I have a couple of prospective job offers that I’m hoping will pan out, because honestly, they would be awesome. I’m also looking forward to doing a lot more writing and a lot more riding. I can even see myself doing a bit more work in my garage, earning a little beer money and maybe even having some “hold my beer” lessons with my friends who want to learn how to wrench on their own bikes. I’m even looking forward to going to work, part-time, working on motorcycles (and getting paid to ride them, again) and hopefully, being able to teach new riders once again.
Regardless of what pans out over the next few months, or what doesn’t… I’ll still keep turning wrenches, twisting throttles and sharing my experiences with my loyal MotoReaders.
Until next time…
Ride safe and “hold my beer.”
