Hometown/State? Bozeman, Montana has been my home for the past 16 years. (We lived on Staten Island, New York, prior to that.) My wife grew up in Montana. After the tragedy of 9/11 we decided that we wanted our kids to grow up in Montana.
What was your first motorcycle? My first motorcycle was a very red 2001 Suzuki Bandit 600.
Current motorcycle(s)? I own a 2009 Yamaha FJR 1300A and a 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT (silver and black with pretty Blue wheels and accents).
What is your all-time favorite motorcycle? My favorite is the Yamaha FJR1300 series. It is the perfect mix of power, sportiness and luggage carrying capacity.
How long have you been riding? I have been riding legally for 21 years. Though as a child, my uncles had dirt bikes. So, I would sneak rides on a Honda Trail 70. I was about 10 years old at the time. (The CT70’s clutchless, semi-automatic 3-speed transmission was built for kids like me.)
When did you join the MSTA? I joined the club in February 2019. (I am hoping to rope some of my Montana riding pals into the club soon.)
How did you hear about the MSTA? I read about the MSTA on various Internet sites; fjrforum.com and Facebook. Norm Kern was likely the guy that caught my attention and sealed the deal for me.
Who or what was your biggest influence in motorcycling? My uncle, who is only four years older than me, was my hero growing up. He rode a Honda MR175 Elsinore dirt bike. He also had the Honda Trail 70 that I first rode by myself. Once I started riding my own bikes, I was hooked on sport touring. (I am an avid fan of the rock band RUSH, so drummer Neil Peart’s (RIP) stories about the healing power of motorcycle riding struck a chord in my soul.)
Where are your favorite places to ride? I have enjoyed many places in this country, but “the west is the best,” Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah. Montana is a great place to call “home base,” as it is a hop, skip, and jump to the best riding on the continent.
Describe a memorable motorcycle adventure? One of my most favorite trips was riding the Cabot Trail, a scenic roadway in northern Victoria County and Inverness County on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. While the riding was not quite as exciting as the Rocky Mountains, the culture, and towns we experienced during that trip was exactly what long distance touring is all about. We stayed in hotels some nights, camping on other nights. Talking to locals and searching for the best coffee places in the morning proved to be a lot of fun.
What is the best motorcycle advice or tip learned through the years? Besides “Plan the ride, ride the plan,” getting on the bike early each day, and riding at least 100 miles before brunch, is a great way to make sure enough asphalt is covered each day.
What turns you on about motorcycles or riding? My motorcycle is a means of transporting me to new places. It offers me a chance to chat with residents of these new places and experience great local spots in these new places.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of motorcycling? I love to travel on and off the bike with my wife. We have two pretty great kids – a son in college in Flagstaff, Arizona (NAU), and a daughter still in High School. She will soon be heading someplace great for college, that will give me another reason to travel someplace new. I am an avid fan of Rock music, especially the band RUSH. I have seen RUSH in concert 59 times since I was 14 years old. In my younger years in New York I was a bass player in what might now be called a “grunge” band. I still “slappa da bass” for at least five minutes a day when I am home.