Of Motorcycles and Imaginings

I'm not sure exactly when it started.  Given that my mother and father, my father's father, and various other resources have always told me that motorcycling was a death trap (my grandfather referred to them as "organ donor machines"), I was raised to think that motorcycles were bad forms of transportation.

Some of that thinking still remains with me.  For example, a motorcycle seems a horrible way to travel cross-country.  I realize there are people who do it, successfully, and that they build motorcycles to do so (the Touring style motorcycle).  But it seems to me that they aren't a practical form of long-distance travel.  Another portion of their teachings that stick with me are the warnings about safety.  On a motorcycle you aren't surrounded by a protective shell, and in an impact, that can lead to a few problems.

So, what, then, prompted me to get a motorcycle license in the first place?

I think it was a combination of factors.  One of them is definitely fuel efficiency.  Another is, and this is a wildly romantic viewpoint, the image of motorcycling.  It seems a very impressive image in my mind, out on the open road, just you, a bike, and the clothes and gear you can stow away in the saddlebags.  It a very similar image, in my mind, to the cowboy image.  You aren't boxed into a conveyance.  You have to actively ride a motorcycle.  One of the concepts that became very clear during the training course is that you have to always  pay attention to the road, the bike, and the world around you.  It's pretty demanding, but, it pays back in spades.

By the end of the first day of riding, I was hooked.

What I found fascinating about the whole process was how easy the class made learning how to ride.  I was rather nervous at the beginning of the class; wondering whether I would have the necessary ability to ride.  The first time I put my feet up on the pegs, rather than using them like pontoons, was especially nerve wracking.  However, once I realized that the more speed the bike has, the more stable it is, it became much easier to focus on proper riding technique, rather than on actively balancing the bike.

I have to say that the part I really enjoyed the most were the weaves.  Basically a slalom, the weave terrified me at first.  Eventually, though, it was a piece of cake.  Again, it came at a time when I realized that if I kept my speed up, the bike was much easier to control.

"Wait!" I hear you say.  "You don't own a motorcycle!  How were you able to take the class!?"  That's the easy question.  The course requires some manner of control, so all the motorcycles are 250cc Honda Nighthawks (or similar.  I saw a Honda Rebel in my class as well as what I think was a Kawaski).  Let me tell you, in addition to the ever-present need to be aware of your surroundings, equally important is to have a motorcycle that is the right size for you.  By the end of the class, my hips were stiff, and they remained sore for about a week.

I knew, at the end of the first day, that I was hooked.  I began, that night, looking at motorcycles.  The problem was, I didn't really get behind the idea of a Harley.  I thought that was what I wanted, but I slowly started to realize that Harley-Davidson motorcycles are overpriced.  Instead, I started looking elsewhere.  My long trek through the online world brought me to the bike of my imaginings: The Yamaha V Star 950.

The bike has that really classic American cruiser look to it.  Long, and low, the bike also has running boards (instead of foot pegs, bonus), a wide seat, sissy bar, and it isn't as God-awfully loud as a Harley is.  I went to the dealership in Somerville to take a look at one in person.  The images online do not do that motorcycle justice.  I could wax poetic about it, but I really will just fail at describing it.  Take a look online for pictures, particularly the touring model, and it's a safe bet you'll see me with one soon.

As a last note, the dealership also had a Triumph Rocket III Touring (the largest production road bike in the world).  This beast weighs in at 1,100 pounds, has an inline 3-cylinder, 2300cc engine, and is (apparently) one of the most stable bikes, since most of the weight is low on the bike.  That thing was a monster, even next to me.

Anyway, I'm obviously not going to buy a motorcycle so close to the off-season.  I'm going to start saving my pennies, watching my weight (hopefully dropping a substantial amount) so I can fit into my motorcycle gear, and hopefully get in a good riding season next year.

Catch you all on the flip side.

P.S. I will, eventually, talk about my personal views on motorcycle safety, but in the meantime, suffice it to say that I intend to wear as much protective gear as I can while riding.