My First Ride

Well yesterday I finally had the time to take my new ride out for a spin around the neighborhood to get used to it. The first thing I noticed about it was the size difference from those little bikes we rode. I guess I bought big. Of course there is a difference though. My bike is over 1000cc's larger than the bikes in the class. The weight took a few minutes to get used to as well.

So I fired it up. The sound of the engine was like music to my ears. While the bike warmed up I took a minute to get adjusted to the feel of the bike. After a few minutes I disengaged the choke, through it into first gear and used the clutch to get a feel for it until the end of my driveway. Then I took off. Faster than I expected. This bike has a lot of power. I adjusted my throttle and settled into the seat. Time to ride the neighborhood to get a good feel of my bike.

I started out slow. No faster than second gear. Stearing around curves, taking left and right turns, just going around and around the blocks. After a couple of times around I started getting more comfortable. So I sped up just a little and shifted into third gear. I was taking the curves and turns faster now. Not fast but normal road speed. I expanded my route to cover more of the area of my neighborhood. I even managed to deal with cars pulling out of driveways, driving on the road with me and 4 way stops with ease. I was feeling good. I was finally riding like I always wanted.

Then it happened. Well a few things happened. Nothing major and I didn't fall or anything like that but normal things that happen while driving. A squirrel ran out in my path and I had to dodge him. Then a few minutes later I caught the attention of a dog that thought it would be fun to chase me. Boy I'm glad they covered this one in the class. I varied my speed like I was taught and made the dog miss me. And then the biggest one happened...a car decided it would be a good idea to drive on MY side of the road. That one was enough to startle me and really get the blood pumping. We came close to hitting but I swerved and missed them. It's amazing to me how little people pay attention on the roads. At that point over an hour had passed and I was a little shaken so I drove the bike home for a rest.

All in all a fun first ride. No I didn't do anything crazy or complicated. It was just your basic normal driving. But that's what I need. Lots of practice. I am actually glad I had those three incidents while I was on the road because they taught me to always stay alert when riding a motorcycle. It also made me know the training I had the week before worked. It stuck in my brain even after a week had passed. If you are rider, always be prepared for what could happen, then relax and enjoy your ride. But be prepared. The roads are full of people in cages asleep at the wheel.