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JG300-Stoopy · Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 1:52 am Post subject: An old pic, and Happy Fathers Day

I found an old picture of my '73 Honda CL450 Scrambler that was passed down to me from my Dad and thought it an interesting snapshot of the times and relevant for this weekend.

Picture was taken around 1980 when it was my bike. My Dad bought it new in '73 or '74 when we lived in northern California, for pleasure riding and when the very wet Mendocino county weather allowed, commuted to his job in Laytonville from Willits. He took my Mom out for a few rides I remember a story about how he dropped it with her on it and she didn't ride with him again. Good thing she was petite since it was "just a 450".

So he sold it to me when I was 19 when we moved down to SoCal and it came with the cool 70's sissybar that he no doubt put on for my Mom's benefit. Kinda funny, people would probably puke about a scrambler with a chopper-esque piece of chrome today, but back then it just seemed to work for some reason and it never seemed out of place at the time or drew any comments....I rode the heck outta this bike, was a sweetheart with never a lick of problems.

Anyway since it's father's day tomorrow, here's to you Dad, and although you're not around any more, I can tell you still like to ride because I can sometimes feel you looking over my shoulder enjoying the breeze...

P.S. I just noticed my old dog Rex is in the picture. sitting back in the corner next to the ornamental ceramic fire hydrant....holy cow.

JG300-Ascout

Rex is clearly guarding the bike, as any good dog would.

Yer dad was cool beans. Mine had mo'cycle time on WLA 45's in Italy during the occupation, and he and I sneaked out to look at some when stood about seat height to them. I remember us looking at Harley's and Indians in the mid-50's, but prudence and family responsibilities preventing him from indulging himself. OTOH, he had a PPL from his flying sergeants training in the USAAF and did rent or join clubs that allowed him to do that until his health medicaled him out. My mom over flew with him once, and that was in a J3 Cub and the they encountered some weather....and she never set foot in a small plane again. I certainly did, though, and it was great fun.

He was kinda' dismayed when I bought my first couple of bikes, but after I reminded him of how he regaled with tales of entertaining the residents of Foggia on military bikes, he sorta' backed off on that. Laughing

A cool dad is one who at least acquieces, or even better, encourages their boys to adventurous activities when their time comes...and mine was pretty good at that. Seems yours was, too!

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