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It was 1984, I just brought a 1984 GS 750 TD, Black on Silver. My friend Chuck had previously purchased one of the first Ninja Kawis out. We were young full of fire and in the Army. He was a Signalman and I was Combat Medical Specialist.We were to go to Chuck's home in Pheonix Az. From ElPaso Tx. starting at midnight when our leave began.
We left out heading thru the Franklin Desert as it rose up to Albequerqe NM. It was beautiful as the desert glows at night from the lights in the distance. We went round the Sun Bowl of the UTEP Miners (cool) and headed thru the mountains. We stopped at a local truckers eat and die then stopped to sleep under a bridge. Chuck and Dave slept at the top and I slept holding the bikes, what can I say, Love my bike.
We awoke at 0500 and set off in search of food. We stopped in at a breakfast joint and ate like youngboys starved.
Through the night ride we saw animals that had been transplanted into the desert from Africa as a research project. Gazells, Impallas, a largehorse lookin thing with brown body and a few white stripes from back to stomach and a small head. I got hit by a beetle in the chest that felt like a soft ball and it was about that big. Hit in the helmet by a bird and had my chest covered by a million bugs, AHHHH what a joy.
We went on in the AM crossing the Rocky Mntns. over steele spanning bridges into small tunnels high in the Mntns into the cold day of the Rockies. I've never seen rocks so beautiful with water seeping out the sun breaking in at different points, it will never leave my minds eye.
We hit the top of the mountains rode on down into Az. It was amazing how the heat hits you so quickly and you have to stop and get comfortable clothing wise. It was remarkable as we decended into the Valley of Phoenix and how everything just went flat. We went to a small travel trailer park where Chucks dad lived as he commuted to his job weekly, he let us stay there over the weekend.
Chuck had a great weekend set up. First on Saturday evening we went cruzing on the Mesa Blvd. the biggest cruz-in in the USA. I have never seen so many cars, custom cars or bikes. Hot Rod Magazine does a spread out there every so often to show the cars they drive. Sunday Chuck took us tubin on the Verdie River, what a blast 4 hours of fun in the Sun. You get on a bus after renting a huge inner tube, they take you up the river you get off, get in and go down the river. Chucks friends were there and had a box with a car stereo with three speakers in it. It also had various beverages in it I don't partake of any more. (studying to be a minister)
We floated Down the river talked to a bunch of new people, I met a model, this is when I was young slim and had most of my hair, it was blonde, now gray.
It was a great time in a young man's life. Oh well we came back to Ft. Bliss and settled into the hum drum life of hurry up and wait. But ahh what a memory, what a ride... Gary
We left out heading thru the Franklin Desert as it rose up to Albequerqe NM. It was beautiful as the desert glows at night from the lights in the distance. We went round the Sun Bowl of the UTEP Miners (cool) and headed thru the mountains. We stopped at a local truckers eat and die then stopped to sleep under a bridge. Chuck and Dave slept at the top and I slept holding the bikes, what can I say, Love my bike.
We awoke at 0500 and set off in search of food. We stopped in at a breakfast joint and ate like youngboys starved.
Through the night ride we saw animals that had been transplanted into the desert from Africa as a research project. Gazells, Impallas, a largehorse lookin thing with brown body and a few white stripes from back to stomach and a small head. I got hit by a beetle in the chest that felt like a soft ball and it was about that big. Hit in the helmet by a bird and had my chest covered by a million bugs, AHHHH what a joy.
We went on in the AM crossing the Rocky Mntns. over steele spanning bridges into small tunnels high in the Mntns into the cold day of the Rockies. I've never seen rocks so beautiful with water seeping out the sun breaking in at different points, it will never leave my minds eye.
We hit the top of the mountains rode on down into Az. It was amazing how the heat hits you so quickly and you have to stop and get comfortable clothing wise. It was remarkable as we decended into the Valley of Phoenix and how everything just went flat. We went to a small travel trailer park where Chucks dad lived as he commuted to his job weekly, he let us stay there over the weekend.
Chuck had a great weekend set up. First on Saturday evening we went cruzing on the Mesa Blvd. the biggest cruz-in in the USA. I have never seen so many cars, custom cars or bikes. Hot Rod Magazine does a spread out there every so often to show the cars they drive. Sunday Chuck took us tubin on the Verdie River, what a blast 4 hours of fun in the Sun. You get on a bus after renting a huge inner tube, they take you up the river you get off, get in and go down the river. Chucks friends were there and had a box with a car stereo with three speakers in it. It also had various beverages in it I don't partake of any more. (studying to be a minister)
We floated Down the river talked to a bunch of new people, I met a model, this is when I was young slim and had most of my hair, it was blonde, now gray.
It was a great time in a young man's life. Oh well we came back to Ft. Bliss and settled into the hum drum life of hurry up and wait. But ahh what a memory, what a ride... Gary
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