Once a year...

Once a year, (at least that it seems) my dad brings out his old `47 suicide shift Harley that he had restored. I love this bike. I love how old it is, the original sound that it has, and even a little family history. My dad got his love of motorcycles from his dad, who brought home his first bike in pieces and in boxes and restored it with my dad and his brothers. It was a `47 suicide shift (that means that instead of shifting with your foot, the shifter is by the gas tank, and you have to take your hands off the handlebars to shift gears. It's pretty wild...hence the name suicide shifter) and without much thought, my grandpa didn't think it would be worth much so he sold it. Well, little did he know, right? My dad has always wished he could have had that bike because of the memories and for sentimental reasons. A few years ago, he was at the Harley dealer and heard about this bike that a guy was thinking about selling, but wasn't sure. To make a long story short, my dad convinced the guy to sell it to him. And to make a story even shorter, some research was done and found out that this particular bike that my dad now owns is the only one registered in the state of Utah. Needless to say, we like to believe that this is the bike my dad, his dad, and my uncles all restored (minus the side car) This bike is also a lot of fun for me because my kids get to have a ride once a year. (The sidecar is definately a ride of a lifetime...very fun) Here are pictures of the boys ride for the year...