Some time ago, Former Squeeze (FS, for short?) got a motorcycle and took me for a few rides. It was fun, but the rides were few and far between and I didn't like being dependent on his whim if I wanted a ride. Riding a motorcycle has long been one of my Three Totally Superficial Goals in life. The last, of the three, in fact, to be realized. Turns out one ride wasn't enough.
SO. I bought an old bike (see above, note the helmet!) and took a motorcycle class. I passed and got my license. Since then, I've been practicing my clutch and throttle control. I've been mostly travelling around first my own neighborhood, then a neighboring one. Today I went to get gas and took a longer ride, still staying on side streets. I figure I'll continue to develop my skills incrementally and eventually be able to drive to work, and to visit friends and siblings. It will be a while before I get on a major highway.
It's a lot like learning to drive a car when I was sixteen. My fine motor control is pretty rough. Going 40 miles an hour feels like my top speed (I have been told, however, that the bike itself will go up to 65. FS test drove the bike when I bought it. So it's the driver not the vehicle.)
I've already had two dreams in which I was riding a motorcycle. Not sure what it means, but it is interesting, isn't it?
Here's an interesting article about The Joy of Motorcycling by Stephen M. John. Enjoy!
5 comments:
Anne, Jenn suggests "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". She has not read it herself but it comes highly recommended from a good friend of hers. =)
Thanks, Max! And tell Jenn she's welcome to visit my blog any time. :)
Awesome! Go you! My dad is going to Sturgis this year. When are you making the pilgrimage?
Heh. Well, first I'd have to feel comfortable enough on the bike to take a long trip like that. Then, I'd have to have a bike to be proud of (the current one is like the beater one drives in high school). Then, I'd have to decide if the experience would be worth combating my aversion to crowds. We'll see. I would probably have to be convinced to go by a riding buddy, of which I have very few (at the moment).
Post a Comment