dongately

I was born during the depression - 1934 - in West Palm Beach, Florida, and grew up in Miami.  While delivering newspapers, I fell in love with 2-wheel vehicles, and bought my first one, a Cushman motorscooter, in 1948.

I got my first true motorcycle, a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird, while stationed in Panama in the Navy.

After the Navy, I studied advertising and got my degree from the University of Florida.  In 1960, I packed my motorcycle, an Indian - that was really a Royal Enfied - in the back of a Buick and  headed for California.

I've lived in the Los Angeles area ever since.  I worked in the motorcycle industry for several years (and wish I had stayed there).  I worked as advertising manager for Yamaha for a few years, and also had success selling stories and columns to motorcycle magazines.

I belonged to a club called the Cycle Knights for several years and tried my hand at desert racing for a number of years, but was never good at it.

I have taken a few long distance rides.  In 1962 I rode a little 305cc Honda from L.A. to Miami and back.  In about 1978 I rode a Kawasaki 750cc 2 stroke to Wyoming.  And in 2000 I rode a new Kawasaki Concours to Florida, Michigan and 22 states in all over a 40 day period.

I've owned ablut 45 bikes in my time - and liked them all.  To paraphrase Will Rogers, I never met a motorcycle I didn't like.