My bike...

My bike... is unique.

There are many like it, but this one is mine.

My bike... is patience.

She sits patiently, a brooding hulk of restrained power, waiting... until I come calling on her.

My bike... is a rocket ship. A time machine.

She takes me to new worlds, new civilizations and on bold new adventures.

My bike... is my serenity. My peaceful garden.

It stills my mind, feeds my soul, lifts my spirit and fills my heart.

My bike... is my steed. My travelling companion.

My trusted friend and confidente.

My bike... is constant. It is a rock.

Solid, true and dependable.

My bike... is always in synch with me.

We swoop and flow effortlessly, as water over the fine pebbles of a riverbed.

My bike... is power. A peaceful violence, an ill-contained cataclysmic mass between my thighs. Effortless might which carries me/us as far as we wish to go and then, safely home again.

My bike... is regal. Noble, of pure lines and design.

She draws the admiration of all that meet her.

But from me, she draws far more. Whenever I dismount and begin walking away, I cannot help but stop and turn, to gaze once more at her resting there. Why is it? Is it that I hope to see something? No... I simply want to confirm one last time to myself that she is there. That she is well. That she is safe. That she is mine...

The Rider's Creed. (With apologies to Major General William H. Rupertus - USMC).

This is my bike. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My bike is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My bike, without me, is useless. Without my bike, I am useless. I must ride my bike true. I must ride better than the cager who is trying to kill me. I must pass him before he strikes me. I will...

My bike and myself know that what counts in this life is not the miles we rack up, the noise of our pipes, nor the smoke our tires make. We know that it is the journeys that count. We will travel...

My bike is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a lover. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its engine and its electrical. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my bike clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will...

Before God, I swear this creed. My bike and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is 'the Road's' and there is no enemy, but peace!

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