Was born Arkansas a long time ago. We were really poor, but everyone else was poor too, but didn't realize how poor we were until we moved to Oregon. Live most of my life there in the Northwest. Joined the Air Force in 1973 and retired in 1995. Taveled a good bit in my job as a photojournalist. Didn't get serious about riding until 1992 while stationed in The Netherlands when I purchased a 1992 Ultra Tour Glide.
Sold the Tour Glide in 1994 before being reassigned to Missouri. Bought a 1994 Heritage and had it for a short while. My ex-wife didn't enjoy riding so trying to please her I sold the Heritage and bought a 1994 Goldwing. Nice bike but boring. Rode it for a couple of years then got rid of the wife and the Goldwing. Purchased a Honda Valkyrie in 1996 and got a new wife, a new and imporved vesion. She loves to ride. We had various Hondas. Although they were good bikes we wern't happy with them. In 1999 we walked into a Harley shop in Kansas City and fell in love with a chrome yellow 2000 Heritage. We then ordered a 2001 Jade SunGlo Ultra. Waiting for the Ultra we traded the Heritage for a 2001 ElectaGlide Classic. We were talking to our Harley dealer in Sedalia, Missouri in June of 2001 and he said that Harley was making a White Pearl Ultra for 2002 and he had one that was coming in and wasn't spoken for. Before I could answer my wife said we'll take. God I love that woman. In July we took a week and went to Colorado, something everone should do. While staying at a motel in Montrose we met a gentleman that wanted to buy our 2001 Ultra as soon as our new one came in. We got our new 2002 White Pearl Ultra in the middle of September and traded our 2001 ElectraGlide or a 2002 White Pearl Fatboy. We've only got about $8.00 left in the bank but have a couple of nice scooter s in the garage. We both work hard and our free time is spent with activities involving motorcycles. It may not be right for everone but it is for us.
Well now the not so good stuff. The day after Christmas it was about 28 degrees but the sun was shining and I decided to go for a short ride. I didn't realize how short it was going to be. About two miles from home on highway 50, a four lane state road, an eldery lady, 81 and deaf, decide to turn left from the right lane. I was in the inside lane and hit her in the drivers door at about 50 miles per hour. She and Chevy were okay but the Harley with 970 miles on it and I didn't fare so well. the bike was pretty much totaled. I was pretty much totaled too. According to the Police report after I hit her I flew 29 feet through the air until a stop sign did it's job it stopped me. I was life flighted to Kansas City to a trauma center . My pelvic bone is broken in sevral pieces, I hve several broke ribs, bruised kidney and liver, two pins in my left thumb to hold it in place and have lost some movement in my right shoulder. But, I'm alive and I probably shouldn't be after all that. I came home after a week in the hospital confined at first to a hospital bed and walker. I can now get around with a cane. Got some pretty good drugs too.
About a week after I got home the Harley dealer called and said he had a new White Pearl Ultra coming in unannounced and it wasn't spoken for. So the new bike is sitting down at the Harley shop waiting for me to mend. Hopefully by July we will be ready for another trip to Colorado or maybe Utah. We never once thought about not riding again. Well, I hope this wasn't too long or boring. Hope so see some of the good folks on this board out riding this summer.
Rod and Carlotta
Knob Noster, Missouri
Sold the Tour Glide in 1994 before being reassigned to Missouri. Bought a 1994 Heritage and had it for a short while. My ex-wife didn't enjoy riding so trying to please her I sold the Heritage and bought a 1994 Goldwing. Nice bike but boring. Rode it for a couple of years then got rid of the wife and the Goldwing. Purchased a Honda Valkyrie in 1996 and got a new wife, a new and imporved vesion. She loves to ride. We had various Hondas. Although they were good bikes we wern't happy with them. In 1999 we walked into a Harley shop in Kansas City and fell in love with a chrome yellow 2000 Heritage. We then ordered a 2001 Jade SunGlo Ultra. Waiting for the Ultra we traded the Heritage for a 2001 ElectaGlide Classic. We were talking to our Harley dealer in Sedalia, Missouri in June of 2001 and he said that Harley was making a White Pearl Ultra for 2002 and he had one that was coming in and wasn't spoken for. Before I could answer my wife said we'll take. God I love that woman. In July we took a week and went to Colorado, something everone should do. While staying at a motel in Montrose we met a gentleman that wanted to buy our 2001 Ultra as soon as our new one came in. We got our new 2002 White Pearl Ultra in the middle of September and traded our 2001 ElectraGlide or a 2002 White Pearl Fatboy. We've only got about $8.00 left in the bank but have a couple of nice scooter s in the garage. We both work hard and our free time is spent with activities involving motorcycles. It may not be right for everone but it is for us.
Well now the not so good stuff. The day after Christmas it was about 28 degrees but the sun was shining and I decided to go for a short ride. I didn't realize how short it was going to be. About two miles from home on highway 50, a four lane state road, an eldery lady, 81 and deaf, decide to turn left from the right lane. I was in the inside lane and hit her in the drivers door at about 50 miles per hour. She and Chevy were okay but the Harley with 970 miles on it and I didn't fare so well. the bike was pretty much totaled. I was pretty much totaled too. According to the Police report after I hit her I flew 29 feet through the air until a stop sign did it's job it stopped me. I was life flighted to Kansas City to a trauma center . My pelvic bone is broken in sevral pieces, I hve several broke ribs, bruised kidney and liver, two pins in my left thumb to hold it in place and have lost some movement in my right shoulder. But, I'm alive and I probably shouldn't be after all that. I came home after a week in the hospital confined at first to a hospital bed and walker. I can now get around with a cane. Got some pretty good drugs too.
About a week after I got home the Harley dealer called and said he had a new White Pearl Ultra coming in unannounced and it wasn't spoken for. So the new bike is sitting down at the Harley shop waiting for me to mend. Hopefully by July we will be ready for another trip to Colorado or maybe Utah. We never once thought about not riding again. Well, I hope this wasn't too long or boring. Hope so see some of the good folks on this board out riding this summer.
Rod and Carlotta
Knob Noster, Missouri
