[Jeff Higgins]

We worked harder for it back then. Motorcycling is kind of a microcosm of the changes, or advancements made in my lifetime. It has become so accessable, so easy, that it has opened it up for those with no more than a cursory interest. It used to be that if you wanted to ride on the weekends, you had to wrench a bit during the week to make sure things were ready. Every week. Not that it took all of our time, but it certainly took enough of it to where a guy had to really want to ride. Not anymore. Now it can be an activity that a guy can just step into on the whim of the moment, with no prior planning or preperation, knowing full well his machine will run just like it did the last time he parked it. Most folks, of course, think that is absolutely wonderful. So do I, as a matter of fact, most of the time. I think guys who didn't go through that "golden era" are, however, missing something. I'm happy that I can now relive all of that, reminding myself of what it was like and, with that, gain an even deeper appreciation of just how good I have it now.