I'll Go First

[mollusc]

Howdy.  Kia ora.  Hi there.

I'm mollusc, and I'll be one of your hosts on this forum.

(Don't worry, I'll be gentle.)


^^ If I ever drop a country album, this is going on the cover.


I live in NYC, but grew up in New Zealand.  I also used to spend a lot of time in Denver.
Living at the bottom end of the world meant that I had to learn how to make things and fix things if I wanted stuff.  (My first vehicle was a van that I pulled out of a swamp.)
So I have a moderate level of ability across a lot of areas.

My first career was in food science, but I now work in higher education administration.
I have also worked in building demolition and salvage, on berry farms, driving long-haul freight trucks, as a sign-writer, and as a ceramic tile salesman.
I studied horticulture and design right through high school, and originally intended to go into landscape architecture.

I'm a published poet.  I play bass, guitar, ukulele, and percussion.  I've sung lead vox with a couple of different bands.  I used to have my own b&w darkroom.  I once drove a Czech APC in a parade because I was familiar with the backwards shifting pattern of the transmission.  I can make phenomenal jam.



This is a forum made up of people.  We have to grow it into a community if we want it to thrive.  I hope to get to know more of you over the coming years.

[clearviewx]

I'd be interested in listening to some of your lead vocal samples? 

[mollusc]

Nothing recorded, sorry.  There may be more in the future but the guys I play with most often (we all work at the same college) have taken a while to get going again after the shutdown.

[Adventurer]

« [NHF Member Intros] Reply #62 on: June 03, 2017, 06:23:07 AM »

I'm a happily married, father of five. Born in Texas, but moved thirteen times before I was out of elementary school. Got a taste of a mixed fuel mini-bike (literally) one day during that time, and never forgot it. Spent the latter part of my life mostly in Northeastern Pennsylvania's Lehigh and Berk's Counties, though graduated College in Virginia and did a five month stint with Mercy Ships & YWAM five months aboard the since retired m/v Anastasis, living in the ports of Antwerp, Tenerife, & Conakry for a month each, before living fifteen places the latter two, inland Guinea...where is the first time since my childhood I'd driven a motorcycle, a sweet Honda 90 we rented briefly from the locals. When I returned to The States, we'd go on vacations, but my two younger brothers and I could never rent 'the fast mopeds,' or any of the Motorcycles...so I took PA's free Motorcycle Safety Course, just to tackle that obstacle, not realizing I'd  then "have" to own a bike. During my first career, I bought a used, black Yamaha Seca II XJ600. It took "forever" to get a copy of the title, so I could insure and drive it, as the owner had lost it, but eventually a new one arrived by mail and I was off. Eventually, though implementing all I'd learned, I was in a no fault accident, hospitalized for a week, with no legit protective gear other than a brand new, full face, HJC DOT & Snell approved helmet, of which the left side had all been sanded down by asphalt, after a blacked out, forty foot skid, upon impact. The story is much longer and intense than that, but God took care of me. First words to family and friends in ER, after learning my bike was totaled, were I've got to get a new bike. This was met with disapproval, but later played a role in my then ex-longtime girlfriend, now wife, getting back together. In that same career, while she and I lived a year abroad in Nelson, New Zealand, I couldn't resist the sirene call of a used, blue, Honda GL 145, with manual kickstart. This was my daily driver, alternating with our Lada. A 145cc motorbike is plenty fast in a mountainous country with no guard rails and no vehicular retrieval of those who go off a cliff. Instead, they paint a fluorescent orange "X" on them, so passers by can know a search team had cleared it, and it was now there to stay, seemingly forevermore. Got PADI Scuba Certified abroad, then returned home with first child on the way. Was courted into another career opportunity, with a chance to live ten minutes from the beaches of  southern Delaware, and couldn't resist, as someone who loves Surfing, water sports in general, fishing and a change of scenery. Got back into Beach Volleyball, had a couple more kids, then moved back north to PA, after being courted into my third, and current career. Had a couple more kids, and suddenly realized, I'd inadvertently taken an unscheduled and unplanned, ten year break from motorcycling, once we started our awesome family. Fast forwarded the restoration of a $5. USD trailer I'd bought off Craigslist (with title), threw on a $12. HFT wheel chock, and scored the rad '92 CB750 NH I drive now, in NY...shortly after the birth of our 5th child, hence the trailer (solo trip).

I then quickly signed up for and completed both PA's Return to Rider Course and Advanced Rider Course, which I recommend to anyone, regardless of skill level. For more info:

http://nighthawk-forums.com/index.php/topic,3205.0.html

Bike-wise, the highlight reel of the rest of the story picks up here [updated to reflect this NEW forum link], for those interested:

https://nighthawkforums.com/index.php?topic=33.0

Family-wise, having just purchased our first home, six months ago, we were pleasantly surprised when our next door neighbor blessed us with a '08 TaoTao ATA250cc ATV, for our kids to dabble with, once they complete PA's ATV Safety Course and load up on protective gear. Aside from previously owned Power Wheels and borrowed Go Carts, so begins their power sport stories...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Adventurer]

[I put the word out about this new NighthawkForums.com site across multiple Nighthawk specific Facebook Groups, etc. today, so you should see a bump in Guests/Visitors, and hopefully ultimately Members and participation].

[Pete in PA]

Just joined forum, hope it takes off.  I'm near Halifax, PA Had a few bikes through the years since 17. Learned to ride my Dad's 80 Honda 900 custom, first bike 83 650 Nighthawk, then V65 Sabre, Then 98 CBR1100XX, then 06 ST1300, threw in an FZ-07 and 250 Nighthawk for fun plus 2 XR650L's.  Now have 15 FJ-09 and just got a 92 750 Nighthawk.

I'll be working on it in the basement over winter (to hold my sanity)  It runs and rides but carbs need work along with general going over.

[Hogzilla]

I first rode, then mildly wrecked a friend's Yamaha (250?) Enduro many many years ago in high school.  Riding at night and failing to note that the dirt road turned hard left just as I shifted into 3rd gear is an event easily chalked up as being a learning experience.

Years later, while in the Marine Corps and deep in the CA desert, many friends in my unit were buying new motorcycles which I 'rented' often, for weekend jaunts and road trips. I recall 20 bucks being the going price. These bikes ranged in size from 600s - 900s and open desert highways were a good training ground. Many good rides as driver and passenger. 

Step forward another few years and I'm back in WA State where I again got to mildly wreck my room-mates bike while returning home at night in deep-deep fog.  This time I rode it over the road embankment at a 'T' intersection.  Covered in mud and rain, I was thankful this too was dual sport bike so I was able to get it back up the hill onto the road and have now experience two types of evening road hazards! How many are there?

Still not discouraged, a year later I ended up with my first and only new vehicle: a Honda Shadow 700 which had been on the sales floor of the local shop for almost two years.  Looking back, I presume this was likely the last remnant of the trade-war-limited Hondas they couldn't peddle.  With 22 test-miles on it and a very motivated salesman, I bought it and got a nice Shoei helmet thrown in with the sale!  I didn't really care what I was riding but I liked the style and it was an easy ride.  The next day I picked it up on the way to work and rode it for about a month before finally getting my first endorsement for a bike.  This Shadow became my sole source of transportation for almost 2 years, rain, sleet, rain, sun, rain, hail, but not snow.  I may be foolish but not stoopid. 

I rode my Shadow cross-country to visit a friend in Ohio and on the way back, ended up passing very near to Sturgis during an annual rally.  I had no clue and I wondered why I was encountering more and more bikes and bike clubs, the further west I came.  At one point I was set upon by a genuine 'lady' bikers club.  About 30 female Harley riders rode up on me as I attempted to hide my Honda tank logo with my knees as if this might fool anyone.  Sadly, they didn't molester me -Hollywood is so fake-news.  That evening, while resting and loading up on coffee I read about the Sturgis gathering, of which I knew very little, but was too far past to turn around.  I decision I regret to this day. 
Did I mention the third and final mild wreck?  About an hour after my coffee-stop, I fell asleep somewhere in Wyoming (can you blame me?) and hit a car I was approaching on the highway.  Miraculously I woke up in time to grab the brakes and suffered only a few bent pegs and engine bar, and scuffs but didn't drop the bike.  Adrenalin kept me wide-awake for the next 12+ hours until I returned home.  You might think I am a bad rider, but really I am just bad at staying awake.

Later that year I ended up selling the bike during a stint of unemployment/bad girlfriend experience (probably many of you have been/are there) and was determined my next bike would be a Harley.  Years later, I changed from Harley to Indian, and from Chief to falling in love with the Scouts.  Life had other priorities and though I'd had a few short rides here-and-there, no bike for me.

A few years ago I hired two young guys who are both avid bike riders.  Every day coming into the office and seeing their Hondas, Kaws, scooters, Yamahas or whatever, in the lot gave me the bike-bug in a bad way.  And so, recalling how much I used to admire the mid-80s 'Hawks, coupled with the fact that my brother has one, I am back, and just in time for winter storage!

Maybe I'll get a Scout at some point, but I really like my '85 and will probably be happy for quite a while.  I'm no diehard rider. I dabble in, and can join a discussion about almost everything while being an expert at nothing (other than my profession), so here I hope I can pick up a bit of knowledge and maybe even add some value.