Biking before basic training: Priceless

Updated: 08/17/2009 11:36:38 AM EDT

When Woody Hadsell got an old Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster for his son last October, he knew it was going to take some work to get the bike ready for the road.

But he also knew he had a deadline.

Hadsell's son, Corey Hadsell, was a senior at Spring Grove Area High School and was signing up to join the U.S. Army when he graduated.

"We wanted to get at least one ride in before he (went)," Woody Hadsell said.

So the Spring Grove father and son began chipping away at the repairs needed for the used motorcycle.

The bike needed electrical work, brake repairs and a whole host of time-consuming and potentially costly repairs.

They enlisted the help of Laugerman's Harley-Davidson in Manchester Township to track down some of the needed parts, and Woody Hadsell said every time he could "rub some money together" they bought what they needed.

But by early July, the date for Corey Hadsell to report to Fort Jackson, S.C. was fast approaching, and the bike still needed some more repairs.

With time running out, a new wrinkle also popped up. Woody Hadsell works for PennDOT, and his pay was temporarily put on hold while lawmakers wrangle over passing Pennsylvania's budget.

Help from a vet: The Hadsells took the Sportster to Ironhorse Repairs at 2939 York Road, Gettysburg, and told them their dilemma.

That's when shop owners Dave Mangold and Jim Gilchrist stepped
in. Gilchrist, a veteran, and Mangold said they wanted to make sure that Corey got his bike running.

"The boy had been trying to get the bike running all summer so he could go ride with his dad before he went off to the military," Mangold said. The shop was closed on July 18, but Mangold came in specifically to get Corey's bike ready to roll.

He did, and then Gilchrist and Mangold invited Corey to join them on a 100-mile poker run ride with the Pen-Mar Riders.

Corey had a good time on the ride, Mangold said.

"He's a good kid," he said.

Woody Hadsell said his son was thrilled to get one ride on the bike before heading out to training.

"He had a ball, and it's all he talked about all weekend long," Woody Hadsell said.

Woody Hadsell said that Mangold and Gilchrist have also been willing to work with him on setting up a low-payment installment plan to pay for repairs. While the bike is operational, Hadsell said there's still more work to be done.

"You can't ask for a better group of guys," Woody Hadsell said of Gilchrist and Mangold.

Shortly after his ride, Corey Hadsell reported to Fort Jackson for his training, his father said.

But when he gets some time off, Corey is already talking about getting a full-size Harley that's been made in York, his father said.

-- Reach Brock Parker at 505-5434 or bparker@yorkdispatch.com.