Saying Goodbye

We had a really sad morning at our house. We had to say goodbye to the Bengal Bike! This is huge for us. Here is a little history.

When we were first married, I would go to yard/garage sales with one of my good friends. She was the kind that would get the newspaper early in the week and map them out for Friday and Saturday mornings. I only did it when I was with her, but it was fun. Lee had NO part in any of it. One day I asked Lee if he wanted to go to a yard sale up the road from us, it was only a couple blocks away. To my surprise he agreed. When we got up there, we saw the usual JUNK, plus a few things some people would consider treasures. Then we spotted our own treasure. There was a really old yamaha moped/scooter in the garage. Lee asked how much they wanted for it and they said $50.00 "but we don't know if it works". We ended up leaving with the bike for $25.00. One of our friends was good with small engines and within about and hour the bike was running. Not very well, but it was running. From that time on, Lee and Matt just kept working on it. It ran good enough for Lee to drive to school everyday. We saved a TON of money on gas while he was in college because he drove it everywhere. When we got it, it was a light blue color. Lee gave it a nice paint job in ISU orange and a few stickers and it became the "Bengal Bike". We have many fun stories and memories associated with the "Bengal Bike". It was very well used and was the best $25.00 Lee and I had ever spent. The bike has been retired for a few years. Once we moved to Nyssa, there hasn't been a need for it. It has sat in the shed just coming out a couple times to make sure it runs.

My brother is at University of Utah and is going to be playing football this fall. He doesn't have a car and lives right close to campus so Lee offered the "Bengal Bike" to him. Lee didn't think it would be appropriate to drive and ISU scooter around Utah campus, so he decided to give it a makeover. He took the entire thing apart. I really wish I would have thought to take pictures, there were frame pieced, nuts, bolts all kinds of stuff everywhere.He decided to paint it RED for Utah. He also ordered a few parts so it would run better. (It actually runs better now than it ever has before and Lee is not a mechanic!) He got it all put back together and now it is headed to Utah. I know Griff will appreciate it and take good care of it. We are hoping it stays around for my other brother to use at college and then hopefully the girls as well.


So, we have this long story about a bike that means a lot to us and everyone else is probably thinking "why is it such a big deal". I am sure everyone has something that means a lot to them that means nothing to anyone else. For our family, it is the "Bengal Bike"






Farewell to the "Bengal Bike"

Good luck to the "Ute Scoot"