I learned you have go with the cards you’re dealt and make the best of it. I now ride very little because of my back issues but that’s okay because I still can do it. Just not as much. Motorcycles have been a big piece of my life and 50 years of riding has been good to me. I had the opportunity to meet great people, see great places, and express myself through motorcycles. Life throws you curve balls and strikes and you get to pick your swings, good and bad.

  I have never been one to sit around the TV or hang out, I like to be busy. A friend gave me a chopper wine holder and that got me thinking about making something similar. I now do not have the money or back to horse engines or frames around, but I still want to be involved in the bike scene and the people within it. I set out to build a small custom bike out of scraps of metal and such lying around my shop. The first one was just free hand and came out good. Some of my friends said I should build some more and try to sell them. I built two more and built a simple fixture for the frames and a plate to align and weld the pieces together. I have built a few more and like a real bike build; you learn new techniques or procedures as you go long. I have a nice small shop in my garage that allows me to be creative and keep active in the things that have now been a huge part of my life.

I guess one of the most important things I have learned from all this change, health and economic issues is that we don’t have to give up, we need to adapt. In a time when people are selling bikes that they have spent $20-30K on for $10k because they need to keep their home or pay for other priorities, we need not to give up. People who build choppers or hot rods are creative individuals no matter if we build rats or show winners, that’s how we express ourselves. I have found a way to express myself without spending a lot of money and am able to apply my skills as a fabricator and machinist to a new, but similar venue and feel good about it.

 If you’re interested in Charlie’s work, contact him at cgabel1@sbcglobal.net.