Motorcycle Stories and Pictures I like to write stories about motorcycles. I have been riding motorcycles since the early 60’s and I believe my stories have a true biker’s perspective.  My name is Bill Bath and I am a semi-retired mechanical engineer living in Houston, Texas. I hope you will find something interesting on the following pages. Some of the stories on my Motorcycle Stories page are fiction, some are autobiographical, and many others describe events that I attended. Most of the events have pictures that will enlarge when you click on them.  My Other Machines page includes stories about the micro-midget race car I built, my report on a BattleBots event, my ride in a race car, and how I modified my Triumph air filter for easier maintenance. My Motorcycle Specials page includes pictures and short descriptions of some of the really memorable home-built motorcycles I have encountered over the years. My Professional Recognition page has a list of the patents that I have been awarded during my professional career. I have provided this list strictly to validate my claim to be The Gadget Engineer. If you have a comment, question, or want to see your “special” bike on my motorcycle specials page, you can reach me at bill@gadgetengineer.com Below is my latest story. The Hitchhiker by Bill Bath Mickey was cruising on old Highway 90 headed for the Davis Mountains. He had spent the past week planning this trip. His Triumph Bonneville was loaded with all the gear he would need for a week-long riding and camping trip. His saddle bags were filled with dehydrated food packs and some bottles of water for camping in one of the many desolate places he knew he would pass along the way. His tent and sleeping bag were securely fastened to the sturdy luggage rack mounted behind the seat. He was putting a lot of miles on the clock because there were very few cars on this old Texas highway. He was going about 70 miles an hour and enjoying looking at the vast desert landscape when he first got close enough to see the hitchhiker walking on the side of the road. As he got closer, the hitchhiker turned around and held up a thumb in the classic pose of someone asking for a ride. Mickey was not in the habit of picking up people on the side of the road but this one seemed different. He slowed down a just a little and as he got closer he recognized that this person was a young woman. “Now, what in the world is a pretty girl doing out here in the middle of nowhere,” he almost said aloud. Then, without actually thinking about it, he slammed on the brakes and only rode a little way past her before he was going slow enough to turn around and give her a good look. She was wearing hiking boots and very short pants that showed off a lot of tanned leg. She had a medium size pack on her back with a bedroll on top that appeared to be supporting her blonde ponytail. Her long sleeved shirt was rolled up to the elbows and her wide-brimmed hat had the look of many days on the road. Even with her darkly shaded sunglasses covering her eyes, Mickey could see that she was pretty...in that cowgirl sort of way. Throwing caution to the wind, Mickey idled up along side her and said, “Need a lift?” “I really do,” the girl said. “My asshole boyfriend just dumped me out here on the side of the road about half an hour ago.” “Maybe he’ll come back for you.” “I hope he doesn’t. I’ve had it with that cheatin’ son of a bitch.” “Where are you headed?” “North,” she said. “I’ve got friends in Colorado that I can stay with.” “Well, I can give you a ride as far as Alpine. Maybe there you’ll have better luck hitching a ride.” Without another word, Mickey scooted forward on the seat and she climbed on the back. Once she was situated, she put her arms around his waist and they took off. Two hours of riding later, it was getting near dark and Mickey was looking for a place to camp for the night. A few minutes later, he turned up a narrow dirt road that would take them well away from the highway. She did not seem nervous to be alone with him so he parked the bike and started setting up his tent. When she got off the bike she put her pack on the ground next to the bike and pulled off her shirt. Underneath she wore an old, sleeveless Willie Nelson t-shirt that hugged her curves. She put her sunglasses in a pouch in her pack and looked at Mickey. Mickey looked up from pushing in the last tent peg when he saw her looking at him. He couldn’t believe his luck. Here he was in the middle of nowhere with the prettiest girl he had ever seen. “Are you hungry?” Mickey asked “I can cook us up some food.” After they finished eating he said, “I’m sorry I don’t have anything for us to drink. A bottle of wine would really go good right now.” “No problem,” the girl said. “I have a bottle right here.” Then, opening the top of her backpack, she pulled out an old wine bottle with a cork sticking out of it. There was no label on the bottle so Mickey was sure it was home-made. That didn’t matter to Mickey. He pulled two cups out of his pack and she poured him a generous portion. When he tasted it his eyes lit up and he smacked his lips. “Wow! This is really good,” he exclaimed. “Did you make this wine?” “It’s an old family recipe,” the girl said. “A family secret really. Passed down for generations. I learned it from my grandmother.” When Mickey’s cup was starting to get empty, she poured him another generous measure. They drank the wine and looked at the stars. They talked about how the sky was almost white with stars in the clear West Texas sky. When the bottle was empty, Mickey looked at the girl and said, “I don’t even know your name.” “Don’t worry about that now. Let’s just go lay down in the tent.” Mickey thought that was a great idea so that’s what they did. When Mickey woke up in the morning, the sun was shinning and he had a splitting headache. He could barely focus his eyes as he slowly crawled out of the tent, and looked around. The girl...and his motorcycle were gone.