(Apologies if this is boring but I tend to write when I’m happy.) I’ve just come back from my third motorbike ride this century and, even though it was pretty short, I’m one happy camper. I’ve been a car nut all my life and I’ve owned a truly amazing number of cars but as I grumble and bitch my way into middle age I’m determined to keep my brain sharp by learning new skills. Last year I got my Recreational Skippers Ticket so a/I could go fishing from a boat and b/I could take on something I’d never done. This year I looked at the number of friends and relatives who ride and realised I’ve been talking about getting a bike for years and had done nothing about it so it was time to fix that oversight. So I got a bike, a ZZR250, because I need something I can clean and tinker with to inspire me, got my learners and lined up my instructor and shadows. I’ve had one 2 hour lesson, and gone out with my shadows twice now and now I have two regrets that I didn’t expect to have: why didn’t I do this earlier and why didn’t I realise that those dopey grins I see on every rider after a good run were so easy to get? I had a couple of firsts on this ride; my first visit to 100kph, my first bug in the visor, my first helmet-nod from another rider, my first random biker pulling over to make sure everything was okay when my shadow and I pulled over to check my L-plate after it got sucked up under the guard (I think I’ll mount in on some rubber before the next ride) and every new thing made my day even better. I’m sure most of you guys did all this when you were much younger and I wish I’d listened to my riding mates when I was in my thirties (not my twenties, I was too angry and speed-loving to have been safe on a bike). My ZZR hums nicely at 110 (no, officer, that was a typo, I really didn’t speed), my cheapie RJays helmet is incredibly quiet, my crappy gear changes are getting better, I remembered to turn the indicator off after every corner, the highway had very little traffic and the sun was shining. What more can you ask? And now I’ve got my own grin and I want to go for another ride
Hey mate, happy for you. I am finding the joys of riding a bike too although i am 24 love these things!
"my cheapie RJays helmet is incredibly quiet, my crappy gear changes are getting better, I remembered to turn the indicator off after every corner" Are you my long lost brother?
