Every year from 1993 through 2024, a group of us attended the Memorial Day weekend Rolling Thunder/Rolling to Remember motorcycle rally in Washington DC.

Our routine was to ride in the parade on Sunday, then ride toward home when it ended. Since the trip to Greenwood, SC was almost 600 miles, we would stay at a hotel somewhere in North Carolina and then finish our trip the next day. It was never an issue because Monday was Memorial Day and we were all off work.

One particular year, my buddy Lee and I decided to stay one more night in DC and ride the Shenandoah Valley route rather than suffering through I-95’s boring scenery.

That Monday morning, we left the campground, stopped for a quick breakfast, and rolled out onto the DC Beltway, heading for Virginia. Having taken that route many times in my more than 30 years attending that rally, I figured we would be riding through the Shenandoah about 4 hours later.

The Shenandoah Valley is a sight to behold! Even from the interstate, the view is amazing! Mountains, farmlands, and small towns all work together to create a breathtaking vista. This day was especially breathtaking because the sky had minimal cloud cover.

I don’t know why, but I love to see the shadow of a small cloud as it moves ever so slowly across the mountainside. I was in my comfort zone. My cruise control regulated my speed, Southern Rock was blasting from my speakers, and traffic was minimal.

Life was good…

Then I noticed something strange in my rearview mirror. Lee, who had been riding behind me for most of the day, was rapidly slowing down. I thought that was odd, so I slowed a little to see if he was ok. The next thing I knew, he was pulling onto the shoulder of the road. Thinking something was wrong, I prepared to stop. Slowing down, I pulled in my clutch lever and started to downshift.

That’s when I found a big issue. My entire outer shifter assembly and the shaft were gone, and the linkage was swinging in the wind! Navigating over to the shoulder of the road and stopping, I stepped off my motorcycle and removed my helmet.

Just then, Lee came rolling up with my shifter in his hand, asking, “Are you looking for this?”

Apparently, the bolt that holds the shifter shaft onto the upright linkage connector arm had worn down, causing the shaft to slide out and go skipping down the road.

“Man, I was just riding along,” Lee recalled, “And this shifter came flying by my head!”

We reassembled the shifter and used zip-ties to hold it in place. Before long, we were back on the road. A few days later, I purchased a new shifter shaft and linkage connector and installed them in my garage.

A couple of years later, while riding to North Carolina with my buddy Jim Johnson, the same thing happened again on my other motorcycle.

We are just rolling along when suddenly, here comes Jim riding wide open, screaming for me to pull over.

I look down, and guess what? No shifter…

Jim turned around, disappeared into the distance, and returned with my shifter and shaft.

“I saw something fly past my head,” Jim said, “and I realized it was your shifter!”

We pieced it back together on the side of the highway, installed familiar zip-ties, and rode on to our destination.

After some research, I found that this has been a problem for quite some time with Harley Davidson shifters, with many people reporting the same issue. From that point forward, on every Harley Davidson motorcycle that has come into my possession, I have gone ahead and put zip-ties on the shifter to prevent an issue. They look stupid, but they work. I have also advised all the people who ride with me to do the same. Still, more than once, folks who DID NOT follow my advice have called looking for shifter parts.

My point is this…

On either of those occasions, when I was happily riding along the interstate, what if Jim or Lee had not been there? I could have gone on for miles without ever realizing the issue until I needed to get gas or take a restroom break. Those guys really watched out for me.

What an awesome blessing to have people who will be there for you when you struggle.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 New Living Translation

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

 

If I had been alone on either of those occasions, it might have taken hours to get some help. As it was, my brothers were there to watch out for me, and in turn, I was able to advise others based on my own experience.

The Christian Faith is not meant to be a solitary life. When we face trouble alone, the effects can be devastating, but as a community, we can build each other up, share burdens, and push each other forward.

Proverbs 27:17 New Living Translation: “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

I do not know who said it first, but it is an awesome quote: “Sometimes I am the blade, and sometimes I am the file.”

I ask you today, are those in your circle drawing you closer to Jesus or farther away? Are you the friend who stands by and watches others struggle, or are you the friend who reaches out to help?

Actively seek out ways to help, uplift, and encourage a friend today. You cannot imagine the blessing both of you will receive.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for those who help and encourage me. Use me to be that same blessing to others. Give me a humble heart and equip me to be both the blade and the file, and remind me to give all the honor and glory to you. Amen!