Creative way to give a bike for Christmas

[rfb92345]

I will not hijack the previous thead, so I will start a new one.

This reminds me of what I did to my son a few years back, so I thought I would share it with you. He was about 14 years old at the time and was bugging me for a dirt bike....a 250, to be exact. It was late November and I had been looking around, but didn't find much. Then one day I happened to come across a Honda 250 Elsinore. The guy was in the middle of a top end rebuild, had all the new parts, but just never put it back together. He just wanted it out of his garage. Said, he'd take 200 bucks, so I said ok, and brought it home. My son asked about it and I told him that it was a friends bike and that he was paying me to put it back together. I told my son that I really didn't have time to do it, that if he wanted to, that I would give him the money that I was going to be paid and he could use it towards a 250. He jumped at the idea and in about 2 days, the bike was all together and running. Of course, he had to test it out, so he spend the next few days riding it and getting all the bugs worked out. He fell in love with that bike and was so, so sad when I told him (a week before Christmas) that my friend needed the bike back, because he had sold it to someone for a Christmas present. Oh was he down in the dumps after that. I don't know who was worse off, him or me. That was a hard week for me, seeing him suffer at the loss of that bike. Come Christmas morning, I told him that his Christmas present was out in the garage. He went out to find a 5 gallon jug of gas. I said it was for your bike. He was so excited to get a bike, any bike, he would have settled for a trail 90 at that point. I told him that it was out in the shed. He ran to the shed and when he saw what bike it was, he sat down and cried. I will never forget that Christmas.................He rode that bike, until he left for the Marines. Pasted it down thru his 3 younger brothers. They all rode it until they all went into the Marines. What happened to the bike?... I finally sold it in need of a rebuild for 100 bucks. What happened to him? He went to Iraq and served as a gunner on an LAV at the beginning of the war. Got out, got married, bought a house, had a baby and now works for the railroad. He is 26 years old now and to this day we still talk about that Christmas and that bike. Just thought I'd share that.

[BassAddict]

Great story, thanks for sharing!

[captaintoad1]

thats a good story thanks for sharing it

[pat0021]

That is sooo cool. Too bad he became a marine tho...LOL just kidding! Yes ex navy guy here...

[rfb92345]

I am ex Navy also.....USS Ogden LPD5.....Operation End Sweep Viet Nam '72-'73...............The jokes really flew around my house. I think I heard them all.

[LordGT]

There are few things in life that can compete with memories like that...

[Timalew]

Great story, thanks for sharing. I love it when you suprize them like that.

[OKC_Kent]

That's a great thing. Someday he'll wonder where that bike is, and think of ways to get it back. Do you know where it is now?

[rfb92345]

I wouldn't have a clue. I sold it to a guy that restores Elsinores. I probably couldn't afford to buy it back. I still remember his youngest brother, who was 10 at the time, was not tall enough to ride. His legs were just long enough to reach the foot controls, let alone the ground. So he would use a milk crate to get up in the saddle and push himself off. He would ride it all around the back yard, then back to the milk crate so he could get off. You should have seen the reaction of the guys at the bike shop when we would go in for parts. They would ask him what he rode, expecting him to say that he rode an 80 or something like that. When he told them a 250 Elsinore, they just stared in disbelief.

[LordGT]

The original Honda Elsinores are my favorite Dirt Bike of all time. I'd love to have one. I had a 250 Elsinore in 1986 or so, give or take a year. It was the bomb. And an original Elsinore wouldn't compete today, but dang they looked cool, Silver I believe, slim, and just nasty looking, looked like they were ready to fight, and they ruled the tracks for a while.

[6ZeroZeroR]

Awesome story. It would make a great movie too. Sometimes the greatest sorrows in life bring the greatest triumphs. Sounds like you've raised some fine American citizens. Congratulations, and thank you.

[MauiAl]

Tell your son thank you for serving. We all appreciate that and you done good!

[optiato]

Ex-Navy here, too. Dang crazy Marines.

[Vulcan125]

EXCELLENT XMAS story. Tell your boy Semper Fi rom an old LAV'r to another!
Sure would like it if your son e-mailed me. If he's willing, PM me and I'll give you my e-mail. Thanks again for the sharing bro!

[wildjerseyfiref]

thats an awesome story! i love to hear stories like that