I've been riding since 1969 and, if you ask my wife, have owned more than my share of motorcycles. Some might agree with her but I don't. It is true that I change bikes a lot and have owned up to four at a time. Some of that reflects changes in my riding interests resulting in more than one bike in the garage. The menu at the right hilights what I currently ride and why/how I got to that particular bike after owning so many others.

I spent a lot of time buying bikes, each one a bit closer to what I thought would be the perfect motorcycle which is one that will do everything and do it perfectly. Of course, no such machine exists, and some of my purchases have been unwise - such is the life of the motorcyclist; or some of us anyway. Time and money taught me that one can eventually drill down to the best bike for road work, dirt riding, touring, and dual sport riding if they are honest with themselves, and it can be quite interesting to see what a guy ends up with. For this reason, I tend to avoid responding to Internet Forum requests titled "I want a new such and such bike - which is best for me?". We have to decide that ourselves based on how we ride, how we want to ride, where we want to ride, and if there will be a passenger or not. And I believe it takes a few bikes to get to the one that truly works for us.

A lot of the chatter on Internet forums deals with owner unhappiness - problems the motorcycle they chose seems to have. A lot is made of the various issues with the Honda GL1800 GoldWing, and BMW final drives for example. Honestly, none of my bikes have been bad machines or let me down in any real sense.

The slide show highlights some of what I've owned over the past ten years or so. They have been a mix of mainly BMW, Honda, and Suzuki; all credible machines.

I favor BMW motorcycles primarily because the features, and build quality are hard to find in other products. They do cost more but that mainly goes to covering their fantastic warranty and roadside assistance programs. When I was in BMW motorcycle business, and the discussion came up about increasing sales volume, someone would invariably suggest reducing the warranty period to that of competitors and thereby lower the cost to the consumer. BMW would not, and is unlikely to, ever do that. I'm glad. As an owner I prefer the coverage and roadside assistance that I get in the purchase price.

The menu at the right dials you in to what I currently ride, and what I think of it. Each will explain how I arrived at my choice - perhaps the better part of the reading.

This is the one I should never have let go; a 2007 BMW R1200S. Only brought into the States for one year. I was insane to let it go.

I've been riding since 1969 and owned more than my share of motorcycles. I have changed bikes a lot and owned up to four at a time, always seeking the perfect motorcycle; the one that would do everything I wanted and do it perfectly.

No such machine exists, and some of my purchases have been unwise - such is the life of the motorcyclist. None of my bikes have been bad machines or let me down in any real sense. I feel priviledged to have had the capital resources to explore different machines...and the process isn't over by any means.

The slide show higlights some of what I've owned over the past ten years or so.