Hello from the shores of Lake Michigan! My name is David Gately and I live in NW Indiana. A little bit about me, I am 49 years old. I’ve lived in the Midwest all of my life and as such, I find a strange sense of peace and familiarity when I see corn fields and rolling farmland. I love to travel and have adventures. Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money to travel and vacation so, when I was 18 I started taking myself on trips to places I wanted to see. I did an Outward Bound Alpine Mountaineering course for a month in my late teens and went backpacking thru Europe with a buddy in my early twenties. Then work, family & career and next thing I knew, I was in my 40’s and had to stop and take a look at my life and where I was at, what I was doing.
I came to motorcycle riding a bit late. I always wanted to ride, just never did. But when I was 40 my sister and brother-in-law rode up for the 4th of July on their bikes. I thought, it looks like so much fun and if they can do it, why not me? So, I signed up for the basic rider safety course, got my endorsement, bought my 1sts bike (750 Honda shadow) and took off from there!! Love of travel & adventure. Love of motorcycles. What could be better than traveling by motorcycle and having adventures?? So, that’s what I’ve done. My first road trip was 650 miles from IN to MD. I did that on the 750 Shadow with no windshield or really any touring set up. Needless to say, that was miserable!! I remember seeing a big guy on a HD bagger fly by me with his feet up and a cup holder behind his fairing, relaxing and cruising down the road as I was getting blown all over by semis…. I made it back home. 1300 or so miles round trip and a world of experience. I learned so much on that 1st trip and it has fueled my love of moto travel.
When I’m not riding motorcycles, I love to spend time with my family & kids. We have 3 teens in the house, so it’s pretty busy! I have also realized that I love stories. Doesn’t really matter the medium, could be books, movies, TV, video games, comics…. I just love a good story. I have also spent 15 years training/teaching martial arts. I hold black belts in 2 different styles and have a passion for martial arts. I guess it was too much Kung Fu theater as a kid. Lol. For work, I am a risk manager and commercial insurance agent. I sometimes find my professional life at odds a bit with my personal life. I certainly get some looks when I pull up to a clients business on my Indian.
Why do I want to ride the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge? Because it’s awesome! I came across the HHMC a few years back following some folks on social media. I began researching it and looking for everything I could find on the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge. The more I learned, the more I really wanted to do this challenge. I love travel and there is no better way of seeing this great country of ours than from the back of a motorcycle. And then to camp outside sleeping next to my bike in some of the most beautiful areas of our nation? I was sold! Nothing better than spending the day riding thru wonderful roads and then to camp out under the stars. I really feel a part of nature when I travel like this.
Being a 1st time rider, I don’t really know what to expect. I believe the HHMC will be more challenging and trying than I think. I also know that no matter how much I prepare, there will be things that come up that I haven’t prepped for and will have to figure out on the road. This is all part of the adventure for me! I think the best advice I’ve been given about the HHMC is to just ride your own ride. I know there will be some folks that want to finish within a certain number of days or with a certain rank. My plan is to strive to finish within 14 days and to be at the End of the Road Party, but I also want to give myself the freedom to enjoy this ride. So, if I find myself in some wonderful place and it just seems right to stop there for the day, then that’s what I’m going to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment