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Hello friends, riders, and dreamers my name is Tom Lowdermilk. Welcome to a place where people can share thoughts, memories, and dreams of riding motorcycles or just driving through the back roads of america in what ever it might be. I hope you find this website a place to log on and dream, share, learn, teach, exchange thoughts, and have fun. This is my first venture into a website so please don't hesitate to email me with suggestions. Along with this web site, I host along with friends "Side Stand Up" The World's Only Motorcycle Radio Road Show. New technology enables us to broadcast a show about all aspects of riding a motorcycle, camping, places to see, and parties not to miss.
Live to ride another
Tom
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"HEY TADPOLES WHOZ YER DADDY!"
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First: the enthusists (are very proud of their ultra spotless bike in the garage riding about 3,500 miles a year)
Second: the biker (they ride t-t bikes or tavern to tavern bikes racking up to a whopping 7,500 miles a year while maintaining that brand new look)
Third: the rider (now we are getting somewhere even better yet they are getting somewhere usually up to 15,000 miles a year. the machine in good shape but appears to be ridden)
and Lastly: the grinder (getting there? these folks get out and go. couple three hundred miles on a saturday or sunday even a tuesday afternoon for a burger the machine well who cares what it looks like as long as it gets from point a to b)
i hope that this site along with my radio show "side stand up" the worlds only motorcycle radio road show will become a conduit for riders of each group to meet friends, share thoughts, dreams, and ideas about the world of cycling by emailing tom@sidestandup.com.
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i started riding motorcyles the summer of 1970. actually it was a benelli mini bike that my brother and i bought together. with a red and chrome tank accented gold pin striping. propelled by a 20 horse motor with 4 speed gear box. looking back i figured it was designed for about 1500 miles of smooth road before it broke down, we were able to get maybe 500 out of it by continually riding with a throng of new friends (we had the basketball per say) riding it around a bumpy dirt track a couple hundred yards long before it kinda kept breaking, boys will be boys.
none the less 500 miles was bookoo laps around that little track. as i rode around that little bumpy track in my mind i was riding across the country. i would visilize riding past things i saw in geography books (lots of pictures in a geography book). i was hooked from there, my first street machine was a 72 honda 350 scrambler in which i rode along with my fellow neighborhood kids eeeerrr gang members "the cedar crest cycle slobs". we were a motley crew riding made up of the kids that started riding on that beneli riding various makes usually less the 500 c.c.'s.
later it was on to harleys over the years i have owned several machines on two some i never rode (okay so i couldn't get em started) . rode a 76 sporter while i was in the navy. that was the first bike that i made long rides on, back and forth between Kokomo, Indiana and Norfolk, Virginia three times over 18 months. fell in love with bmwz bout that time. bought my first new one from Moody's Cycle Sales, Kokomo Indiana in the spring of 78. they built 200 r100rs's that were red white and blue.
rode it to rutland vermont for the national moa ralley that year for my honeymoon, my son's mom was 7 months pregger so i was forced to go it alone. at the rally it seemed either that everybody who bought one was there or there were more than 200 built. anyway i was gone 10 daze rode just over 3800 miles and was hooked on being out on the back roads of america.
over the years i have rode mostly on the east coast with the exception of a quick trip to Norman, Oklahoma, a result of a bet over happy hour beers that i could leave right there and send a wire from Norman, Oklahoma in 12 hours little over 650 miles. sucked had to sober up riding in rain, took me 13 hours and 20 minutes to lose 500 bux. proud to say that not long after that i quit gambling. april 28th 2006 i rode out of orlando florida for the odessy of a lifetime aboard a new 2005 bmw r1200rt (the asphalt angel). 178 daze and 42,656 miles later i returned. during that time i experienced the rural life of 40 states including northwest canada, riding the alcan to alsaka, then on to deadhorse / prudhoe bay as far north as you can get by road in the u.s. funny being from florida for the last 34 years, didn't take long to notice nobody was driving on the beach or wearing clothes they surely wouldn't wear at home on the coast of the arctic ocean.
i just read jerry's bio..... i did meet jerry 16 years ago although i am currently caught up in my son having a daughter to marry Peyton, the heir to the throne ;)
Live to ride another day
Tom
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I’ve been riding some type of motorized vehicle since I was very young. Mini bikes back then had two tires, handle bars, some sort of seat and a pull start Briggs and Stratton 3hp engine. Since then I can just about remember the # of steel ponies I have owned. In 1983 I purchased a 1978 BMW R80/7. After owning four cylinder liter plus bikes this was a huge difference. I was so excited when I pulled up in the driveway, my bride being a rider herself almost tossed me off so she could get a turn. I’ll never forget Michele’s comment when she pulled up after her test drive “I don’t think this thing is firing on both cylinders”. If you have ever ridden an AirHead with the carbs out of synch you would understand her concern. She was concerned I had just purchased another one of those project bikes. I was bad about getting a “deal” that cost an arm to make right.
The bike had a copy of the MOA magazine in the saddlebag and I read though it and notice a Rally page. It just so happened that the sunenshien (sp?) rally in Orlando was coming up the next month. When I made the trip (20 miles) to the rally I was lucky enough to run across a group that called themselves the SpaceCoast BMW Riders. I sat and listened to these guys and girls (thanks John, Ed, Deb and the rest) talk of riding and camping all over the country. I’d never ridden out of FL. These stories were some of the most exciting trips I’d heard of, riding and camping on a motorcycle…wow you can do that. Camping gear packed on a motorcycle and heading off in to the sunset looking for a rally half way across the country. One of the Spacecoasters was an amazing man, Ed Culberson. If you ever get the opportunity…read his book “Obsessions Die Hard”. I was also lucky enough to meet and get to know Ed. Every chance I got, I sat through one of his slide show presentations of his Obsession with completing the Pan American Highway, including the Darien Gap. 50 plus miles that were never completed.
This is what got me fascinated in Adventure Touring. Since then I have completed a few IBA rides. Including 1000 miles in under 24 hours, 1500 miles in under 24 hours, East coast of the USA to the West coast of the USA in 42 hours and finally Key West, FL to Prudoe Bay, AK and Back to Key West in 28 days. Not to mention the additional 1000 plus mile days just to attend a rally. All these rides may have never happened if I hadn’t met the BMW crowd.
I raised my family around motorcycles and camping. Now my first grandson is slowly being introduced to the sport I enjoy.
I met Tom a few years back (16+) and am now caught up in helping make his radio dream a success.
Good Luck Tom!!!
jerry@sidestandup.com
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