I got on my first motorcycle just before my 14th birthday: my brother’s 100 twin Yamaha, purchased from Sears because Yamaha had yet to open a shop. That was on gravel roads in the hinterland of southern New Brunswick.

I got my first taste of gravel within the first 50 feet, having tried to stop with the front brake on that gravel and not understanding the consequences.

In my mid-teens, I moving to Vancouver area, being firstly a motorcycle bum, and then later a slightly older motorcycle bum. The bikes I went through, and the chronological aspects of that era, are in the gallery ‘My Iron Ladies’.

Then in 1972 I obtained sponsorship from Hastings Yamaha in Vancouver (1972) for both road-racing and motocross. Breaking in a street-class production bike (Yamaha R5B) I met with a pickup trunk in the same place I was supposed to be. That incident pretty much sheared off my left foot, and that ended the sponsorship. It didn’t end my riding.

Throughout the years between then and the end of my professional career, I always had a bike in the garage, excepting between 1978 and 1983, as I sold my first and only Harley to buy my first house, and then attacked my career with vim and vigour.

I always wanted to get back into the motorcycle arena and get back to biking regularly: and that came about when I bought my first Goldwing: a GL1200 Standard. Pictures of it are in my gallery (My Iron Ladies). A fellow came along and offered me a price for it that I couldn’t refuse, so it went out the door. Shortly thereafter, I found the bike below.

About StraightWings: when and where did it get started:

This is the bike that got StraightWings started. (Click pic to expand) I bought this in early summer of 2000. When I went to see it, with plans to restore it, it was parked under the wing (appropriately) of a Cessna at Maple Ridge airport.

Note that the outer shell of the fairing was stripped right off. So was the trunk. But, all the non-damaged parts were mintie. ALL of the radio system that is visible worked properly. Amazing. I was going to buy the pieces necessary to rebuild it and after spending $200US on not enough bits to fill a helmet, I took another view. I parted it out (ebay: StraightWings), and StraightWings was born.

Since then we have parted out more than 350 Goldwings, all models from 1975 through 2014 (excepting the GL1200LTD).

Where we are now:

It’s going on 25 years since we started. We have distributed over 13,500 assemblies and individual items since then. We have at this point over 2600 pieces inventoried and available on this site. Currently there’s about 500 pieces in bins remaining to be inventoried, and a complete ’83 I/S in the yard. The bikes just keep on coming: and going. We also list on eBay, but they are at least 11% cheaper here, accounting partially for eBay fees. No fees on this site, either for you or for me.

Where have we shipped to, where will we ship to:

We have shipped to any and every country who has Goldwing riders, from Argentina to Alaska, all of Europe, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Africa, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and on and on. We will ship to any place that shipments can get to: we tell us where, and pay the freight. It will be done.

Summary:

The last 25 years have been the best of my life because of that grey ’83 Aspencade in the above picture. My current best friends are all “Wingers”. I have chatted with people from literally all over the world, and visited many from all over North America. What a great bunch of people. And, I talk to more every day, and not just this continent.

Well, enough of that. It’s been good to see you joined the ‘ride’. From Andy Shanklin and whatever crew is about at StraightWings, we wish you the best: and Ride safely.