Adventures of the Infamous Larry Hanna

Larry Hanna.

Larry is a 75 year old man who lives in a small town near our dealership.
Larry likes to drink hot chocolate and has been riding on two wheels since he was the young age of 15.
Larry has logged over 43,000 miles for the year 2015.
Larry lives a life less ordinary.
Larry is the most interesting man in the world.
This man is a legend in the eyes of many at our local Harley Dealership.  He comes in often, and shares his tales from his many adventures, and trips across the continent.  This past year of 2015: 42,380 miles all across our beautiful country, and a story after every trip.
Sturgis celebrated it's 75th anniversary last year, and Since Larry was turning 75, and it was also Dairy Queen's 75th anniversary, he decided to ride his Harley Davidson Street 750 to South Dakota and partake in the festivities- including an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen!
Not his first rodeo, by a long run. Larry has been to Sturgis numerous times, as well as taken every different road you could think of to get there.  He might take a week to get there and explore the northern plains of Nebraska, telling us and showing us exactly where this road that curved and went on forever was located- he suggests I start a bucket list of travels and start getting them checked off as soon as humanly possible.  I don't disagree- I want to travel and visit these places and ride the roads that Larry has seen.  He sometimes takes a Road Glide, sometimes he might take a Sportster- he built a dyna street bob with a 120R motor... he's F*&^% nuts.  He loves his Free Wheeler with the 120 ST when the roads aren't exactly clear, but not frozen...

Larry on his FreeWheeler, with a 120 ST motor!

Being where and when I am in life right now, makes me think about having my own adventure.  I have no children, no dog, no particularly pressing house plants that need daily attention... Get on a bike and just GO- maybe a destination, maybe a cause, maybe a party along the way.  I have been generous enough to meet so many people on this short time I've been on this silly planet- enough to make my way across country and find a friend or two- a back yard or gathering of fellow enthusiasts looking to have a good time, relax, have a whiskey and forget about the worlds real problems.  There are quite a few people out there that share my feelings.  I see you, posting on Instagram, Facebook stories exposing the underbelly of the biker world, living an adventure you can share with the world, just so the dreamers can sit on the edge of their seat and secretly think, I could do that- but never will.

Living free with Josh Kurpius Photography: http://www.joshkurpius.com/

You might recognize his work from HOG, LIVING LOST- Harley Davidson Museum
The newest adventure: 21 days under the sky: https://www.facebook.com/21daysunderthesky

Hearing Larry's stories, and seeing photos like the ones above gives me pure unadulterated, painful wanderlust.  I have planned a few trips for the summer, so I have many stories to write about when I get back- I have gotten caught up in the adult world a bit too much, providing myself with a comfortable and stable living, but I'm missing the adventure, the Larry Hanna in my life.

I asked him one day why he rides, he just commented simply: "Because it makes me feel like I'm nineteen again." The feeling of the wind and air, the open roads and small back road towns you come across- make him feel like a free teenager again- a feeling I am blessed to live every day, and a time in my life I am able to make it happen.  If Not NOW, WHEN?

People like Larry, and Josh (featured photos above) and his friends are a rare breed of folks who need to feel something to live.  You have to have a desire for the unknown, the road ahead, a thirst to find out what is around the next curve, and have enough sense and creativity to conquer any resistance, or road block that appears- be observant enough to take in what happens, live in the moment, and try to remember enough to know you had a great time and share the stories-  I feel the aching need to run away when my 'priorities' take over and I forget what my outlet is, I get frustrated and forget what LIFE is all about.  The flip side of wanting the experience, is the wilting feeling you get when you are deprived of the sunshine.  Getting out and living the adventure, living each experience- the dreamers out there who say things like "where will we sleep?" and "what if we get lost?" Aren't part of my exploration party.  I intend to take off one day, and see where the road, a pocket full of 20s, and my iron head takes me.  Meet people I can tell stories about, do things I've never done, and only heard stories about- forget the cell service and go off road and off the record.  The feeling of FREEDOM, as described by every real biker.  It's the adventure- and you have to have a yearning for it- a magnet for it- to understand.

“We wanna be free! We wanna be free to do what we wanna do.
We wanna be free to ride. We wanna be free to ride our machines
without being hassled by The Man! … And we wanna get loaded.
And we wanna have a good time. And that’s what we are gonna do.
We are gonna have a good time… We are gonna have a party”

The idea of sleeping in the dirt (sometimes mud) and the morning sun piercing your bloodshot eyes, stiff back from sleeping on a rock (?), a hangover ringing in your ears as that guy is the first bike to ring out in the damp morning air.. isn't the average joe's idea of a vacation- But I long for those days- the feelings you get void of watching the news, without concerning yourself with what to wear to work, where to park your car, how much time until I have to leave- anything but the road under your tires.  The random shit that happens, and it always does, to make you laugh to tears, or shout out in DAMN IT pain... It's the experience I'm after.
I was not blessed with the ability to photograph these times,  I couldn't tell you the last time I mapped out a back road to give to others, and I was never good at story telling- my reasons may not be the same for chasing the roaming feeling- but I get the same feels, the same rush of excitement and feeling of SPACE within a beloved group of friends around a crackling campfire 5 miles outside of who gives a fuck.   Go freedom chasers- I'm hot on your heels.

photo @joshkurpius www.joshkurpius.com

One day I strive to be like Larry- he gets to "feel like he's 19 again" every single time he gets on his bike and catches a breeze. His wife's only request "I hope you feel like you're 19 when you come in the house"
Keep on keepin' on Mr. Hanna. I admire you.