“Riding” is a hobby that has driven my life for over 35 years. Todd Wilson is a bona fide, certified, New Yorker. Born and raised in Binghamton, NY (along the Pennsylvania border halfway between New York City and Buffalo), Todd spent much of his childhood on his grandparents’ dairy farm — where heavy machinery and motorized vehicles were a natural “start.”

“I don’t believe that there’s a particular character or make-up that spawns the love or passion for becoming a motorcycle enthusiast. I believe it’s more of an internal switch that gets flipped! I flipped early!”

One of five children, most of Todd’s early bikes were second- or third-hand. Regardless of the wear and tear, Todd was a natural-born biker. ”I was able to ride a bicycle at the age of three without training wheels, so, I guess it just seemed like a logical progression to ride motorcycles.”

Todd got his first motorized bike, a Rupp mini, at age 5. He graduated to a Honda Mini-Trail when he was 7, and a number of motocross bikes and street bikes followed. ”I rode the back roads of Broome County, which led me to the bordering counties and then throughout Northern Pennsylvania, and by the time I was 16, my red ‘74 GT550 left a two-stroke haze over much of New York’s Southern Tier.”

Todd became a man of Service at the age of 22. He enlisted in the Air Force on a four-year term, became a Sergeant (E-4) and worked as an Aircraft Armament Technician to service fighter jets at Eglin AFB’s Test Wing.

A man of intellect victim of sibling overachievement, Todd is also a graduate of Franklin Pierce Law Center (Pierce Law/Concord, NH), where he studied Intellectual Property Law and attended what he calls “too many years” of law school. ”Early on, in law school, I recall one of our professors telling us that the ABA (American Bar Association) stated that 25% of the legal community admitted to some sort of substance abuse problem. Well, I don’t drink or do drugs; my outlet has always been on two wheels— riding is my addiction.”

According to Todd, there is an indirect connection between his law studies and his everyday way of life; “The education taught me to think differently. I tend to look at things from a much more analytical point of view and I spend more time evaluating the result of my actions.”

While in law school, Todd worked at BCM Ducati and Heritage Harley-Davidson during the week, and he spent his weekends spreading the motorcycle gospel on one of the training ranges where he taught New Hampshire’s rider safety course. ”I taught more than 25 Beginning Rider Courses over a two-year period.”

It was during these years that Todd truly realized his passion for motorcycles. Rather than taking the Bar Exam, Todd elected to head to the Harley-Davidson corporate offices. He worked as a field service representative for five years; the first four were spent in Southern New England and New York City. He specialized in troubleshooting difficult electro-mechanical issues. ”This in itself was an education for me. I learned that if you don’t take the time to understand how it works, you’re going to screw it up if you mess with it.”

Honing his developmental service engineering skills, Todd spent a year with the crew at Buell working on various new motorcycle models as the Developmental Service Engineer for Harley-Davidson focusing primarily on the 1125R. ”It was one of the most rewarding positions I’ve ever held.”

Whether for pay or play, Todd contends being a biker is like being part of a brotherhood or sisterhood for both men and women. ”It’s a bond that runs so much deeper than what you ride. It’s about a shared feeling of freedom and power; getting away from everything that holds you back.”

Straddling a bike and rolling down the highway is about the getaway, relationships and the challenge for Todd. ”I like to get away by myself, enjoy the scenery and bend my bike into the corners. Riding a motorcycle somehow enables me to become one with nature, and if you’ve got your girl on the back, somehow, the experience strengthens the connection. There’s nothing better.”

Todd believes the biker lifestyle offers chapter after chapter of life experience. Finding peace and pleasure in riding both the highways and byways of this country, as well as the dirt back roads, biking can take you just about anywhere you want to go. ”Some days I want to try to touch the rev limiter in fifth gear on a sport bike. Other days I want to see if I can creep slowly through the woods and over obstacles. Other times, I might want to lean a motorcycle over so my knee skims the pavement, or see how long I can carry a wheelie across the field. …and then there are occasions when I just enjoy wrenching in the garage.”

Three parts biker, two parts engineer and one part legal geek, Todd Wilson is a professional and a scholar who becomes a road warrior when chasing down the sun atop his faithful Buell or Honda . . . one mile at a time. As co-host of the Motorcycle Radio Network, he’ll make a direct-connect with the brotherhood and sisterhood of those who “live to ride” and “ride to live.”