DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Ryan At Keller's In Lake Highlands

Q: Hi Ryan. Great bike. What can you tell us about it?

A: I bought it in April 2010. That particular model came out in 2006. That's referred to as a bagger because of the bags on the back. It's a bigger bike. It has a stereo and all that.

Q: Wow, a stereo? How do you listen to a stereo on a motorcycle?

A: It has an iPod hooked up. It has ABS brakes. It has cruise control. It's almost like a car. But yeah, you can hear it. You heard how loud it was. You can defiantly hear it on the highway.

Q: Have you been riding a long time?

A: I got my first bike when I was seven, a little Suzuki. I just turned 38, so 31 years.

Q: You've been riding since you were seven? Is that even legal?

A: On the dirt it is, probably not on the street. I raced semi-competitively as a kid, but my dad just didn't have the money to keep it real competitive. Like in all racing, you have to have the best parts and the best tires and you're breaking things all the time. You're wearing parts out all the time, running them as hard as you can.

Q: What did you like most about racing? Do you still race?

A: I don't. I had a dirt bike. I sold it. I had a CR455R last year, '07 Honda. I sold it. I have a three and a half year old little girl. I don't heal as fast and I'm not as fearless as I was as a kid. Through my teenage years, I was ten feet tall and bulletproof. I think as you see more people crash and you crash, you realize there comes a time. I still like ride. I have friends who have dirt bikes, but I defiantly don't race anymore.