Garage Bill J. from Austin

1974 FX-1200 purchased virtually box stock in April 1979. In 1980 I put the shovel motor and four-speed transmission in a 1954 wishbone frame with forks off a 1966 Police Special. I put well over half a million miles on it between '79 and 2008, when disabilities caused me to park it. I've owned and ridden other bikes in the meanwhile, but am now working on getting the shovel running again.

Disabilities after a 35' fall at work made my right leg unreliable. I tried to trike my shovelhead - the one I've owned since 1979 - but couldn't find the frame I wanted. Got tired of not riding, so I found a 2016 FLRT Freewheeler to get me back in the wind. I named it The Box-Turtle - even found some turtle stickers for the bike and a matching patch for my riding vest - and made some adaptations (like the raised and sprung FXRP saddle) to accommodate my disabilities. There was a learning curve, getting used to three wheels instead of two, but I've got the hang of it now. Still hoping to get back on the shovelhead soon, but in the meanwhile I'm enjoying the Freewheeler.

This was a 1976 FXE-1200 Liberty Edition, shown here with my blue shovelhead and my first ex-wife. The '76 had some miles on it when I got it, but was complete, well-maintained and strong. It even had the original Liberty Edition tank with the Peter Max stickers set aside in a box for safekeeping, and a set of five-gallon fat bobs to run. I rarely rode the '76 - I preferred my OG shovel - so I ended up selling the '76 FXE to a 'friend.' A huge mistake. First, the bozo smashed that original fuel tank (which was already a collector's item) in a fit of rage; flattened it with a hammer! Then he painted over the original black metalflake fenders with a sloppy maroon and slapped a bunch of chrome doodads all over it. Finally, and the thing that really broke my heart: he went back to using drugs and traded that beautiful machine for dope. Still makes me sick to think about it.

One of two Baggers in my history. My wife couldn't passenger on my rigid framed shovelhead, so I bought the Electra-Glide. They're basically a sofa on wheels, right? so she should be comfortable on it, right? ....but no, she wasn't. Even with that huge passenger seat, her sciatica was aggravated, and with a half-hour of setting out on a ride she'd be singing the blues. We gave it a good run, but the Bagger wasn't the solution.

The second Bagger was a project bike that came to me on the cheap when a friend scored a barn full of bikes and parts. I was already disabled by then, and looking for a trike. My intent was to strip the Bagger down to the bare bones, dial in the suspension and drive-train, and use a Nomad outrigger assembly as a 'trike' section. However, that wasn't what I really wanted, so when I got the opportunity to sell it at a profit, I took it.

This 1987 FXRS Low Rider was burnt to the cases and then expertly rebuilt by Harley Bob at Bud's Motorcycle Shop in Austin, Texas. I named her The Banshee because she knew how to wail. An added benefit: my wife could passenger more comfortably on her than any other bike we tried. The Banshee was fugly when I got her in December 2006 - red and cream with 'Live to Ride' doodads all over - and I spent two years making her my own, and adapting her to accommodate my disabilities. On Friday 10/24/2008 I installed the final pieces of my makeover. On Sunday 10/26/2008 The Banshee was totaled by a hit-and-run driver.

The James Cycle Company manufactured motorcycles from 1902 to 1966, producing models up to 700cc. They performed admirably in Timed Trials, and did yeoman service for British troops during WWII. The 98cc Villiers-powered Comet I owned was a popular, economical commuter bike for working women and men in postwar Britain. Although most people know nothing of the marque, the machines are collectible amongst enthusiasts, and even though I never restored mine, as intended, researching the marque opened me up to the extensive history of motorcycles from around the world, and the fascinating characters who built and rode them.

On a trip to Seattle I rented a BMW R1100R and spent two glorious days wandering the Olympic Peninsula with my wife. The BMW was the first motor she'd been able to passenger comfortably on, and it performed and handled so well that I went shopping for one when we got back to Texas. We found the same year, model and color for a steal of a deal, and I spent several happy years riding all over Texas, New Mexico and Colorado on it. In October, 2008, I took the BMW and my FXRS to Prescott, Arizona, for a long-awaited ride with my brother. We had a couple great days bombing around the desert mountains, but on our last day he missed a downshift on a winding road south of Prescott, and he and The Princess were suddenly going end over end down the road in front of me. I've never been so frightened in my life. He broke some bones and caught some road rash, but thankfully nothing he couldn't recover from. The BMW wasn't quite as lucky.