For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an obsession with two wheels. Although my level of immediate interest in this wonderful class of vehicles has ebbed through my nearly 27 years of life, I feel it’s served as a focal point, and an interest I intend to pursue unceasingly moving forward…let me explain.

Circa 2000: In the Beginning…

Since I was young, life on two wheels has been an obsession for me. Nightly bike rides were the norm in my childhood. It seems that nearly every night after dinner, we’d get the bikes out of the garage and ride down to one of the local parking lots, often mixing up the route we took to get there. My mom, my dad, or both would always accompany me or us.

I can’t remember how old I was when I first found out that my dad used to have a motorcycle. No doubt I loved my bicycle, so, to me, motorcycles seemed an obvious extension of a bicycle - something nearly identical to a bicycle, but with a motor attached. This is, after all, how motorcycles got their start.

“Not as long as you live under my roof”

When I was still pretty young, my dad would talk about how he wanted to get me a dirt bike - something I came to realize my mom definitely forbade. It seemed almost like he was trying to tease me even though I knew he wasn’t. And the only thing more appealing to a boy than something his dad does is something he can’t have. I’ve also always remembered the caveat my mom gave - “Not as long as you live under my roof.” I swore to myself then, and I spared no opportunity to remind my parents, that as soon as I turned 18 and moved out of their house, I would buy a motorcycle.

I definitely have to thank both of my parents for insisting that we always wore helmets. It might seem cumbersome, but I can definitely attribute my habit to ALWAYS wear a helmet to the two of them. They have, to say the least, invested so much of their time, effort, and money into who I am today.

Thanks Mom and Dad =D

Circa 2011: The Good News - I Bought a Motorcycle, The Bad News…

I’m sure both my parents were a bit relieved that I didn’t actually commit to my first motorcycle until I was nearly 21. And I think my mother, at least, was relieved by the fact that it didn’t run.

To say I was a bit jealous would be an understatement.

It was 2011 and there was so much excitement around DIY electric vehicle conversions. One of my childhood friends even had a converted DeLorean. Sure, he had some problems (bent the frame due to battery weight), but he’d built an all-electric vehicle himself. To say I was a bit jealous would be an understatement. I absolutely wanted something similar, and my love for two wheels seemed an obvious differentiation.

I do not have an electric motorcycle (yet)

At the time, I was even part of the Society of Automotive Engineers at Rice, although it wasn’t very active while I was in school. I’d also spent the past semester working on the electric power train for the Rice Solar Car. So, I thought I knew a bit about what it would it take and what direction I would head.

Well, for those of you who know me…I (unfortunately) do not have an electric motorcycle (yet). I even didn’t end up selling the donor until earlier this year (2017).

I do still have a bit of this e-motorcycle bug, and had been considering a position with one e-motorcycle manufacturer. I just couldn’t commit to the location…

Safe travels and happy surfing!

Josh S =P

Alright, so I decided to turn this into a multi-part series because it was getting WAY too long otherwise. Not sure how many parts it’s goign to end up being but look for maybe like…4 parts total.

I love hearing from y’all so shoot me a message about your thoughts!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!