I'm glad we think alike in that matter and in our choice of bikes. To help educate me, why do you have a CC permit and presumably carry a gun?
(Will do my best to check in frequently so that this conversation is not too disjointed)
As for bikes, Dad got my brothers and I a Mini Bike when we were young. (other kids in the neighborhood had them)
From there we went to dirt bikes, then at 19 I got my first street bike, a 1979 Kawi SR650. (I'm the oldest of the brothers)
I have had one or more bikes since then.
The other kids in the neighborhood also had BB guns so of course we wanted them too. Dad said we had to be 10 years old before he would get us a BB gun so on our 10th birthdays we got our BB guns and were taught by Dad how to use them safely.
I liked watching the Rifleman and though lever action guns looked great. My first gun at 10 yrs old was a Daisy Champion 99.
We were only allowed to shoot our guns with my fathers supervision until we had shown him through the years that we knew how to use them responsibly.
For my 18th birthday, my Grandfather gave me his Mossberg 22 cal. bolt action target rifle and me and my friends had plenty of woods around and a large sand pit where we could go shooting.
I still have all the guns I have ever owned, I would have all the motorcycles too if I had the space and the money.
I got my CC License to own and carry handguns after what happened at Sandy Hook for 2 reasons. First because I have seen how little the regard for human life has grown since I was young. (the worst thing that ever happened in schools back then was kids would get into fist fights.) Second was I had always wanted to get a hand gun but always seemed to have something more important to be doing and our 2nd Amend right would always be there ... right? When I applied for my CCL the officer told me about a 82 yr old gentleman who had been in the week before to apply, when he asked him why at 82 did he want a CCL he was told ... "I have been around for 82 years and always believed we would have our 2nd A.R., with the things I am seeing now, I want to make sure I can get it before our rights get taken away" That's kind of the same reason I got mine then.
As to why I carry, I was a boy scout, there moto is "Be Prepared". I don't carry looking for trouble, I hope to never find myself in a situation where I'll ever need to resort to having to defend myself with a gun. But if I ever did find myself in that position I would prefer to "Be Prepared".
I may only get one chance to save my own life, or the life of someone else, if that situation arises, I want to have my best "shot" at going home alive.