DEFEND YOUR RIDE: James At Ritchie Highway
"Now that I'm retired, I can do all the riding I want."
- The Ride
- The Driver: James
- Car in Question: 1984 BMW R65
- Spotted at: Governor Plaza Shopping Center, Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie, MD 21061
- Odometer: 77,147
- Car's Nickname: Old Blue
THE DEFENSE
Q: Neat bike! What's her name? Where'd you get her?
A: Old Blue. I got it in '86 for $2,500. It had a four-year warranty and it's been going ever since. It had 2,600 miles on it then. Now the odometer says 77,000, but I know it's definitely more than that.
Q: Have you visited a lot of places?
A: I've been to New Orleans, Toronto, Ocean City, all around Maryland and all the states around Maryland.
Q: How long did it take to get to New Orleans?
A: That took a while. It was too hot--much hotter than I thought it was going to be. In general, trips are pretty fast. I can go 85 miles an hour on this thing.
Q: Do you have a car?
A: I do, but I hate riding my truck. I'd rather ride a bike any day.
Q: Have you been riding all your life?
A: Forty-five years.
Q: Do a lot of your buddies ride too?
A: Oh yeah. Daniel's Bar on Route 1. That's the hang out. We go out riding every Saturday and Sunday. On the weekend, I might ride anywhere between 200 to 500 miles.
Q: Is this your only bike?
A: I have three bikes. I have an '05 BMW and a 1968 Triumph. Old Blue is my favorite though.
Q: Are you from Glen Burnie?
A: No, I'm from Arbutus. There's a lot of really good rides around here. Western Maryland is one of my best, around Cumberland and Deep Creek Lake. It's amazing. There's no problems. No cars or anything like that around there. Just gotta watch out for the deer.
Q: What are some misconceptions about bikes?
A: That they're really dangerous. They're not at all. It's like riding a heavy bicycle. Once you get it moving, it's steady.
Q: Do you listen to music or the radio while you ride around?
A: This doesn't have one, but on bikes that do, you can hear them no problem. Unless you're on a Harley, which gets too loud, you can hear a radio. You can get earphones to hook up to your iPod or phone. I have an electric heated suit. I just plug it straight into my bike. My gloves are heated. My jacket is heated!
Q: Riding in the winter is no problem then?
A: Nope. Not unless it's snowing. When it snows, I have to suck it up and take the truck. Thankfully we don't get that much around here.
Photos and interview by Eldis Sula
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