Q&A With Sean Clayton

ost of you are familiar w ith B ob K arney,

owner/attorney of The Karney Law Firm. He’s been riding and representing bikers since 1975. With offices in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh, Bob doesn’t do it all by himself so we wanted to spotlight his right-hand man, Sean Clayton. Here’s a quick Q&A to give you a little more background info on him. Next time you see him out at an event or a bike night be sure to shake his hand and say hello.

HOMETOWN: Durham, NC

I’m a North Carolina native, born and raised in the Bull City. That’s Durham, for folks outside the Triangle. I went to college in Boone, then law school at UNC Chapel Hill (Go Heels!). Since then I’ve worked in courts all over the Carolinas. Whether you’re in the mountains or on the coast, there’s nothing like the Carolinas.

First Motorcycle: Honda XR80

I started out riding a little Honda XR80 that I shared with my brother. We beat that little dirt bike up so much. One of my favorite memories was this old gravel drive way that had a natural ramp on one side, so you could jump over it if you got enough speed. Well, one time I landed sloppy and in my efforts to ride it out I hit something that sent me flying into, literally, the broad side of a barn! I hit it hard enough that I bounced off and landed near the tree line. But the bike was fine – so, on we went.

Current Motorcycle: 2019 H-D Softail Sport Glide

I’ve had a bunch of different bikes of all makes, but Harley has always had my heart. My dad, uncles, and aunts all rode Harleys, so that’s what I grew up loving. I’ve recently upgraded to a 2019 Softail Sport Glide. It’s got a 107 Milwaukee Eight and only weighs 700 pounds, so it’s got plenty of power (although, exhaust and intake upgrades are coming). It also handles really well because it has inverted forks, a quick-adjust rear monoshock suspension, and a great lean angle. The Sport Glide also comes with a quick-detach fairing and quick-detach hard bags, so you can strip it down for short rides or take it on long rides, similar to its cousins the Switchback and Convertible. I recently had it painted and had some other modifications done but I plan to keep tweaking it little by little over time.

Favorite Ride: Uwharrie Loop

One of my favorite things is riding over bridges. There’s no feeling like it. It’s like flying. I also love a good country road. You can get the best of both by modifying the Uwharrie Loop a little bit. Just snake your way back and forth between the forest and Lake Tillery, Badin Lake, and High Rock Lake. All three lakes are connected and run just west of the Uwharrie National Forest. My wife has family in Albemarle, so I like to start there and wind my way up the lakes and through the Uwharrie and back. It might not be the most talked about ride in the Carolinas, but it’s one of my favorites and one you’re sure to enjoy if you haven’t tried it yet.

Best Part About Your Job: Our Clients

To me, bikers represent everything that is right about America. People that don’t know what that means haven’t ridden long enough. Motorcyclists are hard-working, honest, solid people that want to be treated fairly and that’s where I come in. A fel- low biker will be the last one to get cheated on my watch. My clients are friends of mine, they’re people that rode alongside me on benefit rides, they’re fellow riders that I care about. I look forward to seeing them at events and bike nights and genu- inely enjoy catching up with them. I’m very fortunate to be able to work with such good people.

Sean M. Clayton | Attorney The Karney Law Firm North Carolina and South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Lawyer