Biker would rather go to prison than give up his motorcycle
A judge offered William Richard Brooks II a deal when he offered to reduce his sentence to 3 months in jail if William would sell his motorcycle to pay restitution to another biker he hit. But Williams was unwilling to give up his motorcycle and instead chose a 15 month sentence in jail.
While we can all understand the sentiment of not giving up our motorcycles for anything, this story really shows that a motorcycle can be worth far more than what you paid for it. Apparently Brooks had just bought the motorcycle for $6,500 and the cost of the accident was about the same. So you would think that selling the bike would make sense so that Brooks could reduce his time and that he could buy another within the 12 months of being free.
But Brooks did not see it that way and thought that the motorcycle was more important.
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Brooks said he left because he was worried he might lose his bike, a brilliant blue 2002 Harley-Davidson 1200 Custom — the bike he always dreamed of owning.
The bike, Brooks said, was the way out of a dark spell in his life. He said his wife died of cancer in 2002, he’d lost his house in Stevenson, Wash., because he couldn’t make payments, and he’d spiraled into using drugs.
He said the Harley would allow him to restart work as a heavy machinery operator. Having it as transportation was more important than having a home. Brooks was camping along the Columbia River around the time he bought the bike in May 2007.
I personally can relate to Brooks, several years ago, my grandmother passed away and I took the money that she left me and I bought my current motorcycle a Honda Goldwing 1800. While it is nothing special in appearance to anyone else, the bike has value to me because it symbolizes things that my grandmother taught me and I would be hard pressed to give up my motorcycle for any reason. Everytime I get on the bike, memories of my grandmother come to light and I remember one of the things that she said to me. “Always find something that you enjoy and do it no matter what anyone ever says,” those words originally got me into motorcycling and they continue with me every time I ride now.
So like Brooks, I would be hard pressed to trade-in my motorcycle for a less severe sentence because of the sentimental value of the motorcycle.
Source Article “Rider risks prison term to keep beloved Harley”
Source: www.oregonlive.com
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