Here it is, February, deep into winter, the roads are closed to motorcycles and the soft, warm wind of the road seems so far away. But I got news! Spring is eight weeks away and 'Ol Man Winter is about to make a reluctant exit! And you KNOW what that means for us! HOT DAMN!! ( not the beverage )

Let me calm down a minute........ OK I'm alright again. Let's get this issue together, I've got a neat story about a young boy who rides, a new safety device that will blow your mind, Dave Barr news and the new ABATE motorcycle schedule for Muncie.

Put on your leathers, plop in the recliner, and thumb the pages!

Steve Salsbery helped his buddy work on his Harley most of the day. Finally, seeing the well-worn Harley cough to life, Steve wanted to take it for a ride. Having never ridden before, his buddy was reluctant to let Steve have a try. After some intense negotiations, his friend sold the bike (with no title) to him for $25 and stood back. Hopping on the old 1925 Harley, Steve sat there revving up the 74 cubic inch engine enjoying the sound as only an eighteen-year-old kid can. With a confident 'thunk' of the gearshift, he sped down the long driveway on the olive green monster. The first thrill of moving and the feel of the wind were forever burned into his soul in that moment. The year was 1932.

I'll never forget that first ride..,Steve said, his eyes twinkling. " My cousin won't either. I had to ride him as a passenger back to the house that day and we crashed going home. We weren't hurt, but it gave him a little scare." he said, laughing a quiet soft laugh.

Steve Salsbery, now 84, is one of the few, possibly the only, oldest active motorcyclists in the state of Indiana. Born in November 1914, he lives in Windfall, Indiana with his wife of 64 years. "My first trip was to Elwood, 15 miles away. Harley-Davidson oil was too expensive back in those days, so I used oil from my dad's tractor for the bike. On the way home I blew the engine and had to be towed by an Urban Rail Lines Bus holding a rope. "Back in 1932 gasoline was 14 cents a gallon, License plates were not required for motorcycles and all the roads were gravel. "Back in those days, a motorcycle rider was thought of as a bum. People used to cut you off on the road or get in front of you and slam on their brakes to make you wreck. You had to become a skillful rider quickly in those days." Steve chuckled.

When he attended Johnson Bible College in Tennessee in 1956, he had to sell his bike because a motorcyclist was a bad influence on 'the campus'. He waited until graduation in 1961 to get his next bike.

A farmer all his life, he was called to the church early in the 50's and was the Minister of the Harmony Christian Church, located in Leisure for 14 years before going into semi-retirement. "The folks at the church had a problem with me riding a Harley and such, so I called 'em all together and we came to an agreement. Since then, we got along just fine."

When Steve took his latest riding test for the State, a requirement for riders every three years over the age of 75, he had difficulty muscling his '95 dresser around the course. Even though he passed his driver's test, the weight of the bike was difficult at low speeds. So he went back to Benson's and bought a lighter bike....a 1999 Road King. Of the thirty plus bikes he's owned, this is his favorite. "This one just purrs along and handles like a dream. That new motor has plenty of zip too."

After that first day in 1932, Steve was involved in only one other crash. "My dad didn't like the Harley I'd bought and made me put a sidecar on it. The first day I rode home I turned right into our lane and knocked down most of the fence! I took the sidecar off and never used it again. Daddy never said another thing."

After riding 66 years without another accident, Steve shared some safety tips with me. "I always wear a helmet. I don't get in a hurry. I always increase my following distance the faster I ride and I stop and look, I mean REALLY LOOK at stop signs and intersections. I'll ride about 65 mph on the interstates and let the people in a hurry pass me by. I enjoy the journey more than the destination." To this day Steve averages 10 to 15,000 miles a year and rides when the temperature is at or above 40 degrees. His longest day in the saddle was when he returned from the Grand Canyon this past summer with his friend, Don Moorehead, riding from Kansas to home in one shot, 800 miles.

Though he's ridden in most all of the states, he wants to see Maine and Nova Scotia. His favorite place to ride is Colorado. "That's a beautiful state. All kinds of different roads and a surprise around every bend, especially around Greeley and the mountains to the west."

His late son Steve came to him one day and said, "Where have you always wanted to go?" Without hesitation, the senior Steve replied, "Pike's Peak." His son asked when he wanted to go and Steve replied, "How about now?!" With that, father and son took off together the following day and shared an adventure that was the Peak on their Harleys and shared some special times together. Steve Jr. passed away from illness not long afterwards. "That's one trip I'll always have with my son that time can't take away."

With the exception of his lovely wife, all of his family ride. His daughter, brothers Homer and Herb, and most of the 45 others that make up his immediate family. In fact, the day I recorded this interview, a lady stopped by the house and Steve began to heckle her about her 'rice burner'. All in good fun of course!

A member of the Muncie Chapter 1277 from it's inception, Steve has a picture of the original members in his kitchen. As he identified members in the picture, he casually referred to Jim Mort as a "kid', something I couldn't help smiling about. (Sorry Jim!)

Steve's wife, Margie, is supportive and understanding about his motorcycling. The way they met says a lot about Steve as well. "I was at a roller skating rink over in Tipton at the armory and was showing off, skating too fast, and I had to jump over the rope that separated the spectators from the skaters. Well, I crash-landed in her lap! I knew then that she was the girl for me! That was 1934."

Steve started doing business with the Benson brothers in 1981, when their store was on Madison Ave. in Muncie. "Phil and Steve are the best in the business." What they say is the way it is. I bought my last bike from Steve.

After 66 years of riding motorcycles I asked Steve what he enjoys most about the sport. "The freedom and the fun." He said chuckling.

NOTE: I have to add that this interview with Steve Salsbery was one to the most rewarding and fun piece's I've ever done. I often wondered when my days of biking would come to an end, and now, after spending time with the unique man, I've discovered they don't. Thank you, Steve.

Air Bag for a motorcycle? I had to look twice at the article. The French Motorcycle Safety Board is testing a device that would lessen the effect of a lay down crash on low speed impacts. An inflatable 'bag' is sewn into the spine of a leather jacket with a tube that extends up the back and around the collar of the garment. The rider mounts his bike, clips a cord extending from the bottom of the jacket to his bike, and takes off. In the event he goes down, as his body leaves the bike, the cord is pulled and the hidden bag instantly inflates a protective "pillow' up the spine and around the neck and shoulders. The inflated bag cushions the rider and absorbs the impact from the fall as well as keeping his spine in alignment and thereby reducing the chance of spinal and neck injury. I wonder who they got to volunteer to test it?

On May 2, 1999, our fellow member Dave Barr, will take part in an historical ride in Pennsylvania. Dave will lead a ride from the York H-D assembly plant to the newest Harley dealership in Wilmington, Delaware. The dealership he is helping open will be the largest dealership in the WORLD. The recently opened Boston dealership is billed as the largest in the United States, but this one, built by Mike Schwartz, will dwarf Boston. The new dealership, located on Highway 9 in Delaware, will be 6 acres and feature, among other things; a museum dedicated to Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Dave's world bike, his 1972 Sportster (with 250,000 miles), will take it's last ride. The bike will lead the parade to the new dealership and take it's place in a special display made for Dave to showcase his accomplishments. The bike will rest there until Harley-Davidson opens it's permanent museum in Milwaukee later this year.

I asked Dave what his feelings were about switching that motor off for the last time. "It will be hard, the bike carried me around the world and through some bad times, but I'm ready to put it to rest." Dave asks all members who attend this event in York to please stop by and identify yourselves so he can talk with you. After all, your family to him.

Finally, the new "99 schedule for the Muncie ABATE Motorcycle School is ready for sign-up. If you are interested, please call 1-800-23-ABATE and register early. I've added a couple of more dates to accommodate demand, however these classes fill up early so don't put it off! See Ya Soon!