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Motorcycle owner finally!


Tom Sawyer
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Okay, look, I have wanted a motorcycle since I was a kid, but when I picked up Ghostrider: travels on the healing road 15 years ago, something "happened" I suddely developed a "craving" for the *purpose* of "motorcycling" and it became a closet obsession of mine. Everytime I saw a bike, everytime a bike movie was on, everytime I heard a bike (especially a nice weather day) I became envious to a painful extent. Like a kid without icecream in a group of kids with icecream ... where's mine?

 

So... a few week ago, I "popped". I will be 56 this summer, I have the whole summer off. ... It's now or never, I figured. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ right?

 

So I imagine there others here that possibly, have had a similar experiences. No?

So excited. I can hardly believe it. 15 years of agonizing desire.. finally.

Edited by Tom Sawyer
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If I had one of those...

 

 

 

 

 

source.gif

 

 

 

 

haha, yeah, will be avoiding that.

 

As my bike mentor (Neil Peart , of course ;) ) has advised...

 

What would you say to newer riders?

Hmmm...
training and equipment!
There's so much to learn in both riding technique and the stuff you want to have with you, not just the hardware. I was mentioning today even, just to go for a day ride along the Pacific Coast Highway, I have three pairs of gloves with me. I've always loved the saying, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes."

I started out learning initially with a course similar to the MSF course in the United States. It was a college in Toronto that did
a three-day course staring with classroom and walking the bikes around and drilling into your head for all time, the importance of shoulder checks and conscientious riding
, I would say that has stayed with me and certainly saved me many, many times. When I was sure that I was on a wide-open stretch of road, and did the obligatory shoulder check anywhere, guess what-there was a truck there. Those kind of fundamental things sound kind of boring but I would certainly always address them. Other courses along the way, any opportunity to learn-like I took a racetrack course with the Freddie Spencer school in Las Vegas that absolutely made me a better street rider immediately. As soon as I was riding away from there, I could feel an increase in, not just confidence with the machine, but in perception-being able to perceive things at racetrack speed and process information at racetrack speed.

I always have a personal mantra about riding-if I'm ever startled, I blame myself-that I should never have allowed myself to be in a position where I could be surprised.
Of course, the whole idea of scanning and identifying, prediction, decide, execute-that useful acronym, is exactly that. You're always predicting what could happen, and always aware of vehicles around you and what they might do, so that nothing should happen that might be unexpected. You should be so far ahead of it that you just react but you're never in a position,
Oh my God, I almost died
. If I'm ever in that position, I really get down on myself-how did you let that happen, that error could have cost you your life? Those are things that are more than just experience, I think they start as an attitude. Riding a motorcycle, like many things, didn't come easy to me. One of my motorcycling mentors, Mendelssohn Joe said, "it's always your fault."

There's one thing I realized in Europe, riding over there...I would love to send every American driver to Europe for two weeks just to learn how to drive-courteously, responsibly, and with some sense of respect. The people over there use turn signals and they have respect for the lane they're in, and there's such a thing as a passing lane in Europe. And I can say in 5,000 miles of riding there, I never encountered one dangerous situation because of another driver or rider. There was just that level of competency about drivers in Europe that was a revelation to me.

 

http://www.2112.net/...050400bmwon.htm

Edited by Tom Sawyer
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be sure to wear your brain bucket.

 

my personal feeling is, anyone who doesn't wear a helmet, evidently has nothing worth protecting.

 

Maybe the best advice I ever got from a fellow rider, ride like you're invisible to other drivers. Also, congratulations for not buying a Harley.

 

i have had tremendous success with honda engines (cars/ generators) plus it was what I could afford. ;) i'm enthusiastic, not effluent. :)

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-finally got my endorsement after taking and passing the riding course. starting out slow and building up my skills and confidence. started rereading ghost rider book (for the 5th time now i think) and somehow forgot that neil failed his test the first couple times. the book that inspired me 15 years ago to someday become a motorcycle owner/rider. I love this. ... a whole new world opening up to me!!
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Maybe the best advice I ever got from a fellow rider, ride like you're invisible to other drivers. Also, congratulations for not buying a Harley.

Nothing wrong with a Harley... excepth the attitude of some of the riders. My last bike was a Sportster that I rode for 8 years. Sadly due to physical issues I won't be riding anymore. I let my endorsement lapse. Riding can be quite addicting. You'll find yourself hearing bikes go by all the time and wish you were on the road. I found nothing better than filling up the tank and leaving with a 20 dollar bill in my pocket and just disappearing for the day out on the county roads. I'll resurface when I'm hungry and go find a good place to eat.

 

X2 on the ride like you're invisible. You may find that riding will make you a more vigilant driver when you're in your car. Taking a riding safety course is not a bad idea, either.

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