Continued....

Interestingly enough, the President may be the leader of the free world, but he’ll still face the same challenge every male rider faces with a mention of motorcycles and before every ride; the other half. Assuredly Michelle Obama would have her say, precursory safety speech before every ride and influence in the biker gear that ultimately makes it onto the biker, whether it stays on after leaving sight of the White House or not.

And finally, for the most exciting question, what would the President ride?

As long as Mr. Obama is President of the United States, the choice would have to be to 'buy American'. Although his apparent innate curiosity should put him in the saddle of a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure or Kawasaki KLR 650 allowing the roaming rider to easily take the road trip off the beaten path, neither are American made.

Or could he be the stereotypical middle-aged male looking to recapture his youth? Would the leader of the free world ride himself into the world of lean angles and chicken-strips?

If so, Mr. Obama would have to forgo the popular Daytona 675, any of the Ducati models or the powerhouse of Suzuki’s Hayabusa because of their respective English, Italian and Japanese heritage. But with some patience the President could wait for the new Roehr Motorcycle to hit the streets.

At the other end of the middle-age crisis is the cruiser or chopper with a wide selection of American made motorcycles such as Big Dog, a slew of Harley-Davidson’s and of course Victory. With so many choices and the opportunity to ride something from the minds of design legends Arlen Ness and Willie G, it would make it easier passing up Honda’s Fury or Suzuki’s M109R.

Alternatively, President Obama’s obvious love and knowledge for history could lead one to assume he would enjoy the latest fashion of nostalgia, looking back to yesteryear's stylish design of riding. As loved as Triumph is with their line-up prolifically filled with retrospective, they are an English motorcycle manufacturer eliminating any chance of enjoying a Bonneville or Thunderbird.

However, knowing what an obvious passion the President has for this great country, riding from coast to coast is a given which firmly puts him in the saddle of a touring motorcycle.

With Honda’s decision to stop building the famous Goldwing in the United States, that stretch of an ‘American made’ argument no longer helps Mr. Obama to consider the ‘lazyboy on wheels’ touring motorcycle. Also, a pass would have to be given to Yamaha’s Road Star Silverado and Stratoliner because as with Honda, it’s a Japanese motorcycle.

But fortunately for the presidential ride, building a motorcycle for the long, open road is something American Motorcycle manufacturers do well, giving a saddlebag-filled palette of choices.

Victory Motorcycle’s Vision won different awards when it was introduced in 2007, most likely helping some get over its out of the box design style. It’s the flowing lines of the Vision that may actually catch the forward-thinking President’s eyes. A company that has built its legendary name on keeping bikers cruising the open road, Harley-Davidson has a range of choices, thanks to a catalogue full of ‘official’ accessories turning nearly every model into a long distance ride.

It was Oliver Shokouh, owner of Glendale Harley-Davidson and founder of the legendary Love Ride who summed up long distance riding by saying in a Clutch and Chrome interview, “Anyone who likes to ride any distance will eventually find themselves Harley-Davidson touring motorcycle.”

That might include an Electra Glide® Ultra Limited which promises to bring together the best of the long distance features found on the other models from the Milwaukee motorcycle manufacturer.

But remembering his position and the simple fact that nothing would look better than the President of the United States buying a bike not only from an American manufacturer, but also a small family run company the leader of the free world might see himself wandering around a Ridley Motorcycles showroom.

Billing themselves as America’s automatic motorcycle manufacturer, their Auto Glide Limited Edition 750cc V-Twin automatic bike would give the President an opportunity to sit back and enjoy the ride without getting distracted with running up and down the gears. Windshield, saddlebags and a nice touring seat, everything a rider could want to tackle the open road.

Now we have placed the President in a saddle, what kind of biker would he be?

The giving spirit that seems to flow throughout the riding community would fit President Obama better than a custom-made leather jacket. From the many years spent as a community organizer as well as efforts to help those in need would not only have the President arriving first at every charity ride, but most likely organizing a few himself. For the kid born in Hawaii and found himself a politician in Illinois, the hunger for new places and experiences could well be satisfied on two wheels out on some nameless road.

The icing on the roaming cake would be the varied and interesting people he would meet, riding strangers who’d become friends and the two-wheeled stories of Americana to be heard. After all, the call of the road speaks many languages and draws riders from an endless variety of backgrounds.

From the bikers who make our motorcycle world the culturally rich place it is to those who have lived a lifetime of motorcycles, the President could revel in riding with and through a compendium of colorful characters and experiences.

All with the Secret Service close at hand of course.

Speaking of which, the motorcycle club to come out of the White House would be as intriguing as the founder himself. With the President as, well President of the most exclusive motorcycle family in the world including everything from wearing the Presidential seal as the club’s patch to a who’s who in membership. The 'White House Wanderers' would boast members of the military with the commanders from the different arms of the services, the club's board made up from the administrative staff and ‘security’ from the best in the world, the Secret Service.

At least they all already own a cool pair of shades.