Motorcycle man racks up miles
Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 3:24 am
Motorcycle man racks up miles
Monday, November 6, 2006 - By Rhonda Siebecker Rothe - Star-Times - wiscnews.com
Just as Charlie Anderson was looking for a way to deal with the painful loss of his wife, the road called out to him. He answered that call by putting on almost 100,000 motorcycle miles.
Anderson, 78, of Friendship, bought his Lehman Electra Glide Classic a few years after his wife of almost 41 years passed away in 1994.
"It's one way for me to get out," he said, adding that staying at home just made him think about the past. Anderson decided to focus on the future and he set a goal for himself that he would hit 100,000 miles on his motorcycle.
He has over 96,300 miles so far. A couple of trips to Sturgis, driving to Branson and Texas and an adventure in the mountains helped push that odometer number up.
The transformation
Anderson had paid a little over $19,500 for the bike, originally, but had it converted to a Harley Davidson trike, which gives the bike three wheels instead of two, allowing Anderson to get on and off the bike more easily. Anderson said he made the conversion so he could ride more comfortably, because he has a condition in which his muscles "knot up" after sitting or
standing for any length of time. The conversion, which added another $10,000 to the bike, included cruise control and Mustang brakes. Anderson said, "I tell you what, they stop fast!" He said he was impressed with the Lehman's heavier frame and the belt has also held up through all of his miles.
His first bike
"I got my first bike when I was 16 years-old," Anderson said. He paid around $100 for that first bike, a 74 Flathead, he said. "When I bought that first bike, I went up a steep hill and spun out several times. It was slippery as the dickens!"
Anderson said his brother helped him push his first motorcycle up that slippery hill, only to have it run out of gas a few miles later. He said, "We didn't know there was a reserve tank, so, we pushed it home."
He bought another bike, "a brand new Army job," just before he was called to serve in the Korean War. "That was $200 new in the crate," he said. After the war, Anderson said, "You couldn't give away a bike," so he let that one go, too, for a little over $200. That was the last model made with a coil-spring front, according to Anderson.
He stayed off motorcycles for quite a while because his wife didn't like to ride, he said. So, he helped raise his two children (Carl and Cindy) and he ended up working for the Caterpillar company for 33 years, retiring in 1990. His daughter now has two children and one of them has two daughters, so "Grandpa" visits whenever he can, Anderson said.
Local service
Although he didn't buy his bike from Bala's Harley Davidson in Mauston, Anderson has been impressed with their service, so he visits the store quite often. He said one dealership put off a repair for two weeks, but not Bala's.
"They got it in the next day and I've been back here ever since," he said.
Anderson said he is seeing more trikes around the area. "They're coming out now," he said. "Almost every time I'm on the road, I meet one."
Even with the cold weather setting in, he has no doubt he will make his 100,000-mile goal soon, and then he has another goal. He said, "I'm going to ride as long as I can."
Monday, November 6, 2006 - By Rhonda Siebecker Rothe - Star-Times - wiscnews.com
Just as Charlie Anderson was looking for a way to deal with the painful loss of his wife, the road called out to him. He answered that call by putting on almost 100,000 motorcycle miles.
Anderson, 78, of Friendship, bought his Lehman Electra Glide Classic a few years after his wife of almost 41 years passed away in 1994.
"It's one way for me to get out," he said, adding that staying at home just made him think about the past. Anderson decided to focus on the future and he set a goal for himself that he would hit 100,000 miles on his motorcycle.
He has over 96,300 miles so far. A couple of trips to Sturgis, driving to Branson and Texas and an adventure in the mountains helped push that odometer number up.
The transformation
Anderson had paid a little over $19,500 for the bike, originally, but had it converted to a Harley Davidson trike, which gives the bike three wheels instead of two, allowing Anderson to get on and off the bike more easily. Anderson said he made the conversion so he could ride more comfortably, because he has a condition in which his muscles "knot up" after sitting or
standing for any length of time. The conversion, which added another $10,000 to the bike, included cruise control and Mustang brakes. Anderson said, "I tell you what, they stop fast!" He said he was impressed with the Lehman's heavier frame and the belt has also held up through all of his miles.
His first bike
"I got my first bike when I was 16 years-old," Anderson said. He paid around $100 for that first bike, a 74 Flathead, he said. "When I bought that first bike, I went up a steep hill and spun out several times. It was slippery as the dickens!"
Anderson said his brother helped him push his first motorcycle up that slippery hill, only to have it run out of gas a few miles later. He said, "We didn't know there was a reserve tank, so, we pushed it home."
He bought another bike, "a brand new Army job," just before he was called to serve in the Korean War. "That was $200 new in the crate," he said. After the war, Anderson said, "You couldn't give away a bike," so he let that one go, too, for a little over $200. That was the last model made with a coil-spring front, according to Anderson.
He stayed off motorcycles for quite a while because his wife didn't like to ride, he said. So, he helped raise his two children (Carl and Cindy) and he ended up working for the Caterpillar company for 33 years, retiring in 1990. His daughter now has two children and one of them has two daughters, so "Grandpa" visits whenever he can, Anderson said.
Local service
Although he didn't buy his bike from Bala's Harley Davidson in Mauston, Anderson has been impressed with their service, so he visits the store quite often. He said one dealership put off a repair for two weeks, but not Bala's.
"They got it in the next day and I've been back here ever since," he said.
Anderson said he is seeing more trikes around the area. "They're coming out now," he said. "Almost every time I'm on the road, I meet one."
Even with the cold weather setting in, he has no doubt he will make his 100,000-mile goal soon, and then he has another goal. He said, "I'm going to ride as long as I can."