I Used to Ride with a Motorcycle Gang

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I just saw about 30-40 motorcyclists drive up State Street toward town. It reminded me of the summer of 1968 or 1969 when I dated the president of the Boise chapter of the Brother Speed Motorcycle Club. GS was an experienced motorcyclist and a really nice guy. He invited me out for rides on his bike, to a barbecue and, one weekend the entire club took a "run" up to Idaho City. This is about 40 miles away and is about an hour's ride. Riding on the back of a motorcycle is a great experience. The road to Idaho City has a lot of straightaways which are fun on the back of a Harley motorcycle. The wind in your face and feeling the warmth of the sun. The sound of the power of the bike is relaxing. But, then we got to some bends and sharp curves which were not fun at all for the unexperienced rider I was. During these, I set up straight and didn't go with the bike. I could have caused an accident. When we stopped one time GS spoke to the other girls and then they spoke to me. Lesson 101 for motorcycle mommas. They told me how to ride and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. The Brother Speed Motorcycle Club had been started by a college student who liked getting together with his buddies for a ride now and then. I actually met the original president and he had sold his beautiful aqua-colored Harley Davidson as a down payment on his first home which was right next door to me at my Mom's. The club became something quite different after he gave it up for fatherhood. The Hells Angels started hanging out and one or two even tried to join. One guy was just crazy. He would drop acid(LSD) and stand up on his motorcycle going down a straight stretch of highway. He did this the day I was riding with GS. It was spectacular, like a circus stunt, but very unsafe and rather dangerous for the other riders and their passengers. Those are fun memories.