r/HarleyDavidsonFans

Absolutely brand new to this kind of thing.

I work in LE and spend my days off helping my wife in her in-home childcare. Personal space doesn’t really exist for me. I have been looking for an outlet to escape/de-stress. I am here seeking advice or assistance. We already live paycheck to paycheck and I do not want to increase the strain on the family for a hobby. Is there any individuals, organizations, or clubs that help people get started with funds towards equipment/motorcycle?

Looking at this bike which only has 15k miles on it. Needs a fuel pump. Seller is firm at $4000. I think it’s a no brainer. Thoughts on value?

I want you to know about karma?

I'm going to tell you a story that's probably going to blow your mind, and I am so glad it didn't happen to you.

I paid Thomas Nelson Community College to teach me the basics of riding a motorcycle. I was planning on buying a Harley-Davidson, which I eventually did. It was a 2003 Fat Boy.

As it turned out, I bought the motorcycle the same week I started the course.

So, on my first day at Thomas Nelson Community College, they gave me a Honda motorcycle to use. The problem was, that motorcycle had bald tires, one of the lights was hanging off the handlebars, the gears weren't shifting correctly, and honestly, the motorcycle itself was unsafe.

But they still told me I had to ride it because it was the only motorcycle they had left.

I did my best to get through the course. We were almost finished when we started doing an obstacle course in the big parking lot. One of the obstacles required a hard left turn.

When I made that hard left turn, the motorcycle slid right out from underneath me.

I damaged one of my knees again. I had already had problems with my knees throughout my life because of an accident I had in Italy.

But instead of being understanding, the instructor got mad. He started making smart-ass comments, talking about how easy the turn was and making me feel pretty damn lame for having trouble riding that Honda with bald tires.

He made me feel pretty bad.

But here's where the karma comes in.

He kept talking about how easy that hard left turn was.

This man was my instructor, and he made me feel like I was some child who had never been on a motorcycle before and was just borrowing an unsafe Honda to learn how to ride.

That wasn't even the case.

I was taking the course to refresh my skills because I was preparing to ride an expensive motorcycle. I already had experience, but I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before getting on my Harley.

Needless to say, I never said anything to that man. I never complained. I never tried to sue anybody. I simply went on with my life.

Then, maybe a month or two later, I read in the newspaper that the instructor had been killed in a motorcycle accident.

Do you know what happened?

He was taking a hard left turn.

And he wrecked.

He died.

 I didn't wish that on him, and I never wanted anything bad to happen to him.

But when I read that story, I couldn't help but think about what he had said to me.

That's karma unfolding.

So be careful what you say to people.

You never know when the words you use to make someone else feel small might come back around to you.

Additionally DO NOT TAKE A MOTORCYCLE COURSE AT THOMAS NELSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE.