early rides

The top picture is of my Dad and I. I don't remember this Honda, but I sure do remember the xl250 in the bottom picture. My Dad and one of his best friends bought two matching '75 xl250's that were on the showroom floor in '76. They used to go ride fire trails in the Shawnee National Forest and later when my parents bought 20 acres of woods he would ride there. I remember his friends from work coming over to ride trails. 


This is the first bike that I remember riding on a regular basis. I sat in the comfortable location between the gas tank and my Dad for many years to follow. I remember barely being able to breath from the wind rushing against my face when we would ride the country roads from time to time.


He kept that bike for quite a while. It was stolen (more like attempted) by some punks that wondered off of the interstate near my house. It was retrieved. Later he sold or traded it. Then when I was 16 or 17 we procured my Dad's best friends matching xl250 from him. I rode that a lot as a teenager and then eventually I think he got his own xl250 back only to trade it off again for something. Fond memories of this one for sure....