Wayne Hamm

Hit the open road with Wayne Hamm

Have you ever wondered why we remember the things we do? Once upon a time there was a young boy who had a boyhood hero, a decorated police officer: my grandfather Webster. He orchestrated a ride for that young boy on a Harley Davidson police motorcycle. To this day, I recall sitting on the saddle in front of a larger-than-life motor officer with the rumble of that Harley between my legs and the excitement of it all. I have been smitten ever since.

Time marches on, there is a lot of water under the bridge and gray hair to go with it. I have been fortunate enough to have been riding motorcycles for more than 40 years now, starting as a young teen when my grandfather rented a Yamaha 100 twin jet for me in the Stanhope Beach area on Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Strangely enough, my first motorcycle at 15 years old was the same model of Yamaha as that one my grandfather had rented. During several of my working years, I had the opportunity to operate Kawasaki KZ1000 Police Specials as well as Harley Davidson Police Specials. During this special time, I was lucky to be able to hone my skills and, at the same time, instruct many new motor officers. For several years, I rode a motorcycle to get to and from work, often shaking my head in amazement that I was getting paid for that.

Originating in Alberta, I have made numerous return motorcycle trips across Canada and the United States over the years. I have been to the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. into the Smoky Mountains between North Carolina and Tennessee to experience a world-renowned motorcycle road called Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon. More recently, my 80-year-young stepfather, Bruce Wheeler, and I boarded my Goldwing and travelled from Victoria, B.C., to St. John's, Newfoundland, and collected seawater from both oceans as our trophy. That trip alone garnered 16,300 kilometres.

Motorcycling is a passion, and I would encourage anybody who has this on your bucket list—if you can do it, then do it. Make a plan, be prepared, take the training and be patient as you travel. You will love the adventure, love your country and perhaps even love yourself for doing it.

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