Royal Enfield cured his mid-life crisis

Here's a portrait of a very happy me, with my daughters, in 2001.

 People often ask me about my old Royal Enfield Bullet. One question though, isn't asked as often now as it used to be. 

That question is: "Did you restore it yourself?" 

The answer was always "no, I bought it new. It's an old design, still made in India." 

Probably the reason no one asks anymore if I restored the motorcycle is the fact that I now look as old as it does! 

Sure, they don't necessarily assume I'd bought it new in 1955 (when I was five years old). But they'd be justified in thinking, "Hey, this guy is old enough to have bought it in 1970." 

In 1970, at age 20, I would very much have liked to have had a motorcycle. But a car seemed more practical and, soon, I had a wife and children and buying a motorcycles seemed irresponsible. 

Then, at 50, came my mid-life crisis. I realized that if I didn't get a motorcycle soon, I wouldn't have a motorcycle, ever. I decided to get one. 

Still, I didn't have much hope I would find the motorcycle of my childhood dreams. In 2001  motorcycles popular in the U.S. were big, powerful and flashy.

But I still wanted the sort of motorcycle that had existed in 1955 — or 1945, for that matter. It would be simple, naked and probably slow. These vintage machines were available used, but I was no mechanic.

I had tried to restore vintage cars, and it didn't work out well. I didn't want a motorcycle I would have to restore.

Then I found out about the Royal Enfield Bullet. It seemed like a miracle. The motorcycle of my dreams still existed, and there was a dealer right in my home town!

Buying a motorcycle remained a selfish, and, I suppose, irresponsible, action.

But confronting midlife answered that concern: it was now or never. This was my last chance. The only question was how to quiet family concerns.

I don't claim to be an expert at subterfuge. But my campaign of small steps gradually made it happen.

My mid-life crisis is now a quarter-century back in my rearview mirror.

I don't necessarily recommend buying a motorcycle. It's a personal decision, worth serious thought.

I'll just say that, for me, at mid-life, it was the right medicine.