With his black leather jacket and red bandana, Bob Mansell certainly looks the part of a Harley-Davidson enthusiast. But at 81, he also turns some heads.
“I was wondering what I was going to do this summer and I thought, ‘I’m going to take a ride on my trike,'” said the long-haired octogenarian, who last month rode his motorcycle solo from Edmonton to London, Ont., to visit family.
“To me, it was no big deal, but a lot of people out west, they were wishing me a safe ride and, ‘Be careful,’ and all this,” said the former millwright, who is staying in London for another week.
It’s where I can find peace. It’s just a wonderful thing. If it gets in your blood, you just can’t imagine life without a bike.– Bob Mansell, 81
Bob’s five children worry too.
“I rode with him for two hours down the highway just to make sure he was good and on his way,” said his 54-year-old son, Dave Mansell, who lives in Alberta.
Bob, a widow for 10 years, also has a GPS tracker on his bike that his family used to check up on their dad during his four-day ride east.
“The weather wasn’t co-operating and so really there was no point in stopping,” he said. “I just rode through the rain.”
Swapped Fat Boy for trike
Last year, when Bob turned 80, the one-time Royal Canadian Air Force member traded in his Fat Boy Harley-Davidson for a trike.
“The Fat Boy was almost 800 pounds,” said Mansell. “My children were adamant that I should not ride it anymore and they suggested I ride a trike.
“My son was not happy about me taking my granddaughters on my big bike and so I like to spend time with them,” he said. “I’m their only grandparent and I just had to make changes.”
Can’t imagine life without riding
It’s been 50 years since Bob first rode a Harley.
Bob Mensell, 81, rode his Harley-Davidson Tri Glide motorcycle across Canada to visit his family. When Mensell turned 80, his family insisted he swap his Fat Boy ride for a trike.
“There’s just a mystique about Harleys and fortunately I had enough money to buy them,” he said. “This is my third really big Harley.”
Bob has had lots of other bikes over the years.
“I was 12 the first time he propped me up on a Honda CB550 Four,” said another son, Wayne Mansell, 57, of Ipperwash, Ont. “I couldn’t reach the pegs, but he sent me around the block a couple times and caught me when I was done.
“His final word after the lesson was, ‘Not a word to your mother.’ I’ve been riding since.”
Wayne admits he was shocked when he first learned his father wanted to ride across Canada at his ripe age.
“But within a few hours that turned to pride,” said Wayne. “I hope I continue riding and enjoying life freely for as long as I can twist a throttle.”
Bob works out daily.
“I’m in really good shape,” he said. “My wife treated me very well and I have my family, and I live alone and I’m quite healthy.”
He also said he rides for a taste of freedom.
“It’s where I can find peace. It’s just a wonderful thing. If it gets in your blood, you just can’t imagine life without a bike.”
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