Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127138
That our rewards on our bikes depend u p on us, and they are Buddies on a long open road. I was u p in Maine, up riding the state's mid-coast routes where treelined pavement drops to quiet boat harbors, swee ps past those sudden flat dark lakes and long mountains, carrying me on and in to new rides, on to m y yet untravel ed highways. Away from th e cities; deeper and deep er into th e uncluttered land. And I cam e upon tw o riders from furth er north still, dow?:! [rom h igh N ova Scot ia, on th eir way back home again, a rov ing pair. One aboard a well -worn Honda . Th e osh er on a vin tage k ick-start Triu m p h with a rag of sheepsk in thrown across th e seat. T heir luggage was tied and strapped on. T hese two wore an odd assortment of all -weath er clo thes, and w hen th ey talk ed th ey had that fam il iar way of fi nishing each other's sentences. R idin g Buddies! You could hear it in th eir windparched throats, in what th ey said abou t th e m il es, and t he m il es togeth er - this com radeship so ingrained in tru e motorcycling. And when I wat ched th em saddle up and go away once m ore th rou gh th e green north ern wood, it was like an old dream coming back . It was how m y fath er and I were the first bike pals I'd ever know n. And then it was m y brother and I. Th en m y best friend. And friends. And toda y it might be anyone of a dozen or so I ride with regular ly, or it might be all of them , in twos, th rees, fours, th e w ho le bun ch. Shari ng the exp erience and, alwa ys keeping a pro tect iv e eye o n o ne an oth er. T rusted s ha dows of our ow n concerned selves, in do ing th is th ing w e lov e so much rid in g m ot orcycles. And, though dream ing, I stili had the power to wonder what it would be to go solo all the tim e, ridin g al wa ys w ith out "fri ends. crossing th e distances alone, never with a partner at your side. And the answer was th is - it sim p ly would not be motorcycling. It wo uld be some solitary pretense, a burlesque, an angu ish . A nd then! There! Off through the trees I caught a glimpse of them again . A nd again ! Those two from N ova Sco tia going north, one and right away th e other, on th eir way home. Riding togeth er. Buddies. William Edgar ~----------------------------------------------------- ----- - - - -- - , I SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM I I _ Name_-=~::-::-:=~-;-;:-:-;:c-:::- o This is a renewal o Please bill me o Enclosed i s check or money order (PLE A S E PA I N T CLE A RLY I Address _ State City Order Date: -LZip Cha rge my 0 Visa 0 Mastercard _ _ OK, please start my subscription to Cycle Ne~s . and send me the newspaper o every week for one year (50 issues) for $32.50 o every week for two years (100 issu es) for $60.00 o six months second class (2 5 issue s) for $17.00 One year 15 0 i ssues)~ 2nd class Canada or Mexico and all other fore ign countrie s $ 6 3 .0 0 IU.S . funds) . First class and airmail rates available upon request. ~ I.l~ :~ ~-- ~~ ~ Send to : S ignature _ MC /Visa # .Ex pirati o n Da te CYCLE NEWS, Inc., P.o. Box 498 . Lo n g Beach . CA 90801 -0498 _ -'-_ _-'- 1 (2 13 ) 427-7433 _ I I I J3