News
Road trip re-ignites a love affair …
A dream road trip in the USA has re-ignited John Finley ’ s love affair with bikes . The Finley Structures MD motorcycled 1,800 miles in all weathers during a 10-day boys ’ trip in the States last summer . This was the first time John had rode a Harley Davidson and enjoyed the experience so much that he decided to purchase his very first Harley ! During a chance visit to the Arlen Ness motorcycle shop in Las Vegas , John took a liking to several bikes , but it was this 2003 , 1130cc Harley Davidson V-Rod , which particularly stood out , and it ’ s no wonder with only 1,120 miles on the clock . Virtually all chrome , and with an engine designed by Porsche , it ’ s an eye-catching machine . “ I remember walking past it and thinking to myself , ‘ that ’ s a lovely bike ’,” says John . “ I went back and took a quick snap of it on my phone . I ended up taking quite a few around the shop ; there was a wonderful collection of bikes . “ We went home and looked up the shop on the internet and it was still this V-Rod that stood out . “ I hadn ’ t heard it , I hadn ’ t been on one , and I just knew it was the bike for me .” John and six friends flew from Heathrow to San Francisco last summer , where the 10-day road trip started , and took in Mariposa , Lake Isabella , Death Valley , Furnace Creek , Las Vegas , Hoover Dam , Bullhead City , Victorville , Ventura and Monterey before returning to San Francisco for the flight home . After owning a bike for more than 40 years – his first was a 1966 500cc Triumph Tiger 100 SS , which he still has to this day ! – John admits the experience has re-opened a big part of his life and has already planned his next trip this summer through Spain and Portugal along with two friends from the US trip taking their
partners along for the experience . “ I ’ ve had bikes since I was 14 , I learnt to ride on a 650 A10BSA and then went onto motorbike and sidecar racing . I started a family and then went into business in 1981 , my love of bikes took a back seat ” he says . “ I remember during a Christmas holiday in the US many years ago , with my wife Valerie , I saw a load of Harley ’ s motoring down the strip at Las Vegas , and I said to myself ‘ I ’ d love to do that ’. “ That dream came true years later as I was part of a group of Harley ’ s driving down that very same strip , it was a great feeling . “ It ’ s opened my life up again to what used to be a big part , other than business .”
Finley Structures Ltd Quarterly Newsletter Issue 3 , Spring 2012