Hi, my name is Ted… well… Theodore, but only my mother calls me that.

As the host of the Motorcycle Men Podcast, I get to use my voice a lot. What I don’t often do is delve into my thoughts on the show. It might make my listeners want to drive themselves into a bridge abutment, so I spare them. A blog is probably my best way to express myself. But here’s the problem… I have written four screenplays, none of which have been published. One nearly made it, but the agent handling it was investigated for illegal business practices and shut down. I’ve written four books; only one is almost finished, and the others are waiting for inspiration. I’ve composed over 400 songs—11 of which made it onto a CD in 2013 titled “FLY.” Sadly, one was turned into a dance single in 1985, but we won’t talk about that. I’ve created two comic strips—one almost got published, but the original artwork was lost in a house fire; the other is lost to my memory. I’ve done several oil paintings, which were also lost in the same fire. I was the lead singer and guitar player in a John Mellencamp tribute band called Human Wheels, formed in 2000. I left the band in September 2020 after 20 years at the helm.

I’ve kept a journal, off and on, since 1989. All of this suggests I might be a bit scatterbrained and unfocused—and you might be right. As you’ll discover, I tend to be wordy because I love words. I have things to say, and I find that written words are the best way for me to share them. I openly admit I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, and over the years, my intelligence has waned, making me less articulate. Yet, I find it ironic that I chose to do a podcast on a topic that demands both intelligence and eloquence. Still, I stumble forward regardless.

My motorcycle journey began at age 13 when my dad took my brother and me to a friend’s house to learn to ride dirt bikes for the first time. At 18, while in the Navy, I bought my first motorcycle—a 1976 Suzuki TC-125. It ran but needed work, and I didn’t know the first thing about fixing bikes. In 1984, I earned my motorcycle endorsement. From then until 2004, I dreamed of owning a Harley-Davidson Sportster. Finally, in 2004, I made it happen—traded my time and worked for free part-time for 18 months to get a 1994 HD Sportster XL883. I loved that bike. In 2014, an opportunity came along, and I bought a 2003 HD Heritage Softail Classic 100th Anniversary in Silver and Black. I still have it and love it. I sold the Sportster in 2015, and to this day, I regret it.

Unless I hit the lottery, there might be more bikes. I always rode bicycles, but I didn’t get serious until 1994. First, I took up mountain biking, then road cycling, after reading an article in Bicycling Magazine about the Race Across America—I still have that issue. After several bikes, I think I’m done buying bicycles. This blog will take you on a tour of my brain on two wheels—whether it’s the Harley, a mountain bike, or my road bike. I’ll tell you what I see, who I meet, and where I go.

…and off we go.