Sat, 08 Mar 2003
Picking Up The Pieces
Of my shattered former self, I wonder why anybody drives a car? Come to think of it, would you like to buy my Quattro? If it weren't for all of the ice and snow that we have around here this time of year, there'd be no reason for these four wheeled friends. Of course, there are people who think that two wheels can handle anything.
I am referring to my indoctrination into motorcycle-holics anonymous this afternoon. I got to the shop around 2:30, just as the weather was peaking at 58 degrees with light winds. The sun had ducked behind a steady layer of clouds but precipitation wouldn't come till this evening. My mother gave me a ride to the shop and I kindly asked her if she would follow me home so that I wouldn't have any scary people driving up my muffler. She agreed and we set out from the shop at about 3 o'clock. I chose a particarly circuitous route over the 30 miles or so from the shop to my house. I managed to construct the route entirely from rural 2 lanes and quite happily I might add that you'd be hard pressed to find a straight road in this part of Pennsylvania.
This is where I begin raving about the bike. I mentioned in the previous post that I bought a 2002 Suzuki SV650. I have piles of european motorcycle magazines laying here saying how wonderful it is but all of that paid professional banter doesn't adequately describe just how good the bike is, especially for beginners.
One problem that seems to haunt beginner bikes is that they rarely have enough power and charm to keep pleasing their owners past the neophyte stage. The SV has armies of people defending it as a top notch canyon carver or race bike, but I've seen quite a few articles stating that it may not be an appropriate bike for novices. And I heartily disagree. What do you want from a novice bike? Ease of use? It's there in spades, evidenced by the fact that I only stalled the bike once, and I haven't been on a bike in at least 15 years. The gear box, throttle, brakes, and switches are all in easy reach and all work smoothly without the typical false neutrals, locked up brakes, etc.
Another thing that's improved dramatically in 20 years is helmet technology. I recall the old motorcycle helmets from the 70s being rather unfashionable, uncomfortable, and (most likely) unsafe. The KBC VR-1 model that I bought is comfortable, highly visible, and affordable. I was rather amazed as I zipped down the road at what a serene experience that this helmet provides. I am not alone in this opinion.
After the initial nervous feeling wore off in the first 5 minutes, I rode the bike so much that the low fuel light came on. As I was gassing up, the gentleman next to me asked about the bike and mentioned that he and the wife were both motorcycle riders. That friendly camaraderie gives me a warm fuzzy. The other warm fuzzy comes from the kind of zen state required to successfully pilot a motorcycle without getting killed. There's nothing like it.
I'm hoping that the weather improves as I'd like to get out and ride some more but I believe the high tomorrow is supposed to be 30 degrees. I'll at least try and get some pictures if the sun's out. There wasn't enough daylight left by the time I came home tonight.
Posted at: 23:26 | permalink
