Newbie to the Wing and sidecar

[NavyMode]

We are Lowell & Donna, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I am a Resident Manger for a 75 unit Apt complex, which we live at, and Donna works for Yellow Book (now HIBU) here in Cedar Rapids.
I retired from the Navy (23 yrs) in 1999. We have been married (36 yrs) with 4 kids and 7 grandkids.

Almost four years ago our oldest son Shawn (31) passed away. He left a daughter Anna (9) in Alabama and a son Izan (4mos) here in Iowa. As part of our grieving process Donna and I purchased a 1986 Kawasaki Voyager XII, and began taking day trips and long weekend excursions. As our 3 other kids Brandon, Justin, & Beth are grown and it is fairly easy for both of us to get away from work, it gave us the time to be together and grieve.
We put 10K miles on the first year. The second year we started watching Izan more, as his mom Casey tried to adjust and grieve. We put 6k miles that year.

This past year Casey lost full parental rights of Izan so Donna and I decided to adopt Izan rather than have him go to foster care. We are in our 50's and now find ourselves full time parents of a very energetic almost 4 year old. We are run hard and put to bed wet just about every night. But it is worth it. He has cut into our riding time though. We find it hard to get good sitters on short notice. SOOOOOO, over the winter I sold the Kawasaki and just last week bought a 1986 GL1200 Aspy SEI with a Friendship III sidecar.

It has 68k miles and in great condition. I am the 3rd owner and all records and invoices have been kept.
I picked it up in Rochester, MN and rode her in the rain back to Cedar Rapids. It was wet and cold, but she is home in our garage ready for spring (if it ever decides to come this year.)

Izan has already been out with me for short rides to the store, but Grandma says it has to get a little warmer. We are definitely looking forward to some good times to follow.
Hopefully these pics work.


  86 Gl1200 SEI 94 Friendship III.jpg (Size: 51.52 KB / Downloads: 26)

  86 Gl1200 SEI 94 Friendship III Two.jpg (Size: 65.56 KB / Downloads: 20)

  86 Gl1200 SEI 94 Friendship III Three.jpg (Size: 48.22 KB / Downloads: 16)

[neoracer]

welcome from mid MD/PA area

[SIR tricky]

Welcome from South West Ontario....

I know what you mean being run ragged I am 72 and Sue is 67 and we now get our granddaughter (14 mths) for weekends etc.... I do so look forward to the times but boy do I sleep after we take her home to Toronto....

[bs175dths]

Welcome to the wonderful world of GL1200!
I am the second owner of a 1984 Interstate whose original owner put 104,000 miles on before he passed at age 80.
I have put an additional 36,000 commuting M-F.
Your bike has a few more miles on her. (LOL)
My condolences on the loss of your son, Shawn, but as fate would have it, you gained Izan. (I will keep Casey in my prayers – as every human is worth worrying about)

In my own corner of the world, as my wife and I were adding to our family, I would stay home in the mornings and work in the afternoons and into the late evening (overtime pay) then get 4 or so hours of sleep and then repeat. My wife had a coworker whose daughter had had a daughter who at an early age would make a fist and lightly pound her fist to her chest and say ‘me bad, me bad’.
Courtney started to be dropped off in the mornings when my wife would go off to work. I now had my newborn son and two year-old Courtney. Housework, cartoons, and the market in the morning were followed with working extra hours for an aerospace company in the evening.
When Courtney was of kindergarten age, she was taken from me and placed in school.
The last time I saw Courtney, she didn’t remember who I was. Her Grandmother told her who I was and how we met and Courtney came over and gave me a big hug.
Courtney has now graduated from High School and is going to a two-year College and is doing well.
Granted, I was in my thirties then, but, a human being is a terrible thing to waste… family member or not.
I must be good at what I do because I now have my 27 year-old daughter (who literally, ran away from the house), and her less than honorably discharged from the Army, husband, living in my den and they are 30 days away from delivering their first child. Neither have a college education, but both have part time jobs, he started his yesterday.
Life happens. Things change.
….. more good times are on the horizon, and your Wing will get you, your wife and grandson there and back in comfort.

-Ride On

[ship]

Welcome from Stroud, Oklahoma. Hope you havea good time and find lots of useful information on this form.

Ship

[firstwing85]

welcome from Western Canada and I hope you enjoy the new ride.

[Keener]

Welcome aboard, Lowell and Donna. My wife and I (both in mid to late 60's) look after our 18 month old grandson two days each week (sometimes more) and though it takes a lot out of us, we wouldn't change it for the world. We certainly sleep well those two nights!

Nice looking 'Wing and sidecar. You'll have a great time.

[wingandaprayer]

Welcome

[bluewing]

Welcome from Baltimore Ontario.

[wpd210]

Welcome from Texas

[admin]

Hello and welcome Lowell. Wonderful account of your life situation. You sound like a true giving type of guy that cares very much about people, especially those you love. I hope you get lots of wonderful riding time in your Wing/sidecar rig and I am looking forward to your reports of those rides, because, sidecars have always fascinated me and I was quite thrilled when I got to finally drive one with a passenger in the car instead of on the seat behind me. Have a great summer.

[85GL1200I]

welcome from western Pa..