BACKFIRE

The Next Time I Go Riding

By Frank Esposito

Ihave to start with the last time I went riding. It was at the Colorado 500, before Sept 11. For a ride of that magnitude, my thoughts were probably fairly normal;

Am I physically ready? Is my bike prepped to perfection?

Do I have all my spares together? What will the weather be like? Do I have the right gear? Who am I going to ride with? And so on.

The next time I go riding will be the first time since September 11. I’ve already been thinking about where my thoughts will be. They certainly won’t be the same as they were before. I’ll be thinking of my friends I ride with, and the fact that I can choose who they are. I’ll be thinking of my bike and equipment differently. The gear and parts that I use come from everywhere — China, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, the USA — and my bike is made in Austria. We are in a country that welcomes global business. We’re not afraid of it. We compete with it. It makes us better and ultimately gives us tremendous choice, variety and competitive pricing.

I’ll be thinking of my drive to my favorite riding area and seeing all of the road construction on the way. This used to annoy me. Not anymore. This is a sign of America in constant improvement.

I’ll be thinking of the radio station that I listen to on the way and the fact that I can turn off the rap station and put on the music I like. We have choices.

I’ll be thinking differently of my personal heroes. People like Dick Mann, Mert Lawwill and Malcolm Smith are still my heroes. But I’ve added some new ones, and now I look at heroes differently. All who protect — the police, the military, the medical community, our government officials — are unsung, but real heroes. How could I have ever taken them for granted?

I’ll be thinking of women. Our strong mothers, wives and professionals. Educated, gutsy women who do more than their part to make this country what it is.

Finally, I’ll be thinking about what it will feel like the next time I ride. I’m sure it will be the best ride of my life! Motorcycling has got to be one of the greatest expressions of our American freedoms. It is a sport. It is an art form. It is a culture. None of those three are even allowed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. So the next time for me, I’ll be thinking not of the ride, but why I, as an American, can go riding.

For God’s sake, for America’s sake, join me in better understanding and appreciating that having our freedoms and our recreating is truly a celebration of our American way of life. We, as Americans, will never, ever let that be taken away from us. There are more than 5,000 good people in God’s arms that want us to keep it that way. Let’s go riding!

#Dealernews always took the high road on America and American values. Thank you Dealernews for publishing this 19 years ago.

We will never forget this day and the lesson is clear. The worst of horror and tragedy brings out the best in American Character. We always overcome the tragedy and we always end up stronger.