Larry Gratton Really Wants to Talk About Vintage Motorcycles

Larry Gratton is a husband and a dad and a math professor. He is also crazy about vintage motorcycles. We talk about his passion for solving the puzzle of restoring old bikes to new glory--especially Hondas from the late 60s and early 70's. We have a great conversation about the place that the motorcycle holds in our cultural imagination and the many ways in which Larry's passion for these machines runs counter to the images that are conjured in our heads when we thing about who rides a motor bike. While Larry's heart might rev up when he is working on a bike, he prefers slow meandering rides through country roads as he dons--not tough black leathers-- but a bright yellow safety jacket.