The Adventures Begin

A couple of days before Christmas we loaded up my Volkswagen Golf TDI, put my bike on the trailer and headed for Arizona. Ashley has this awesome trailer that completely comes apart and packs in the car, so in south Texas we took it off the trailer for the rest of the ride and took turns riding my bike.

One should take beauty shots of your bike while traveling.

On December 25 I had my first big thrill--riding over the Ruidoso NM pass at about 5,000ft. I took the twisties. Saw an elk. Went through slushy snow. Ashley was behind me in the car, which was just perfect for my desire for a comfortable level of safety. He cheered me on as I attacked the turns going at least 40mph. It was exhilarating. I felt like a superhero when I dismounted in Las Cruces for the night. Idiotically, I left my billfold at home. I nearly panicked when I rode through a state border checkpoint. Fortunately, they cared nothing about girls on bikes. Whew!

A friend in Phoenix has a bike that he let Ashley borrow so the two of us could ride together. We went to Sedona, Jerome, Prescott, Globe, Payson. It was cold, but we had heated gear (I got mine at Go AZ Motorcycles, one of my favorite places!) I learned to experience everything from 45 degrees to 95 degrees. Just awesome. Arizona is a great place to ride, and it's where I learned about hitting the road and following your nose--but always with a map. I like maps.

What a great way to spend the winter. I'm fortunate to have such a fun motorcycle, the opportunity to travel, and a wonderful man to share it all with.

Step 3: Learn to Ride Your Bike

First day on my Street Triple!

I'll never forget that first day of riding my bike! We went to a park and I rode around, never topping second gear. I admit, I was scared. Not so much scared of the bike, but scared I'd drop it. I'd have been heart broken. It is a lot bigger than the 250 I'd taken my riding course on, but it was more the fact that I didn't want to hurt him.

I have to admit, I would never have bought this particular bike without Ashley. He was a model of patience and encouragement. I trusted that if he thought I could handle this bike, that I would be able to. And he was right. Soon I was riding around town, trying to go out every day so I wouldn't lose the skills I'd learned in my class. I had no gear, except for a great helmet. So I borrowed his jacket and wore jeans.

I did eventually drop my bike, unfortunately, in a parking lot. I didn't realize I was in 2nd gear and didn't get the push I needed to make the turn. A little black spray paint, and you can't event tell. My ego was bruised and I was a little shaky for a couple of weeks, but no worse for the wear. I'm still a little shaky when I'm parking, but I hear that's one of the hardest parts of riding.

Step 2: Get a Bike

Ashley's 2003 Daytona 955i.

In this area I had a lot of help. My dear husband is a motorcycle fanatic. At the time I bought my bike, he had three, but he wanted to reduce it to two. Which meant he had to sell two of his three and buy a new one. Amazing how that works.

Anyway, this blog is about me. I had learned from riding the GZ250 that I did not want a single cylinder. I went to Indy Triumph and had a look around. Ashley was convinced I needed the Street Triple. I sat on a few. They felt so tall! I wasn't worried about being able to handle the 100+ horse power. I just wanted to feel stable when I came to a stop. Indy Triumph didn't have much in stock, and that was ok. I decided to keep researching and thinking. That's how I shop for a pair of jeans, so why would I want to rush my bike?

I went to Louisville for business and stopped by Commonwealth Motorcycles to talk with Ed. He took me through his entire shop. Made me sit on Ducatis, KTMs, dual purpose bikes, you name it. He even took me out into the garage and showed me an old Ducati he was fixing up that he said was the bike I should get. While an Italian seems like a good idea on the surface--he would be very exciting and attractive--I'm not sure I'd be able to rely on him for the long haul. Just doesn't feel like me.

It was love at first sight. Again.

While out in Ed's garage I spotted him. (This is the picture I actually took and sent to Ashley). "I think this is the one," I told him. Once I've made up my mind, I generally act pretty quickly. We called Ed and told him to draw up the paperwork. I'm taking him home.

Like I said, I didn't ride him home. I know my limitations. Ashley rode him along side me as I admired my little Street Triple, just imagining the adventures I'd enjoy.

Step 1: Motorcycle Safety Course

Scratches are not mine.

I put a lot of thought into most things. Some might say to a fault, but I like to stay out of trouble. So, the first thing I did when considering taking up motorcycling was to sign up for a safety course. We'll see how I like it and go from there.

ABATE Indiana is the state-sanctioned course I took. For $75 you get training, testing and a bike to learn on. Could be the best deal in town. My instructors, both experienced motorcyclists, as you would expect. What I didn't expect was that one was a cop and the other a lawyer. Better yet, the cop was a motorcycle cop, and the lawyer did some work helping motorcyclists.

We all rode a GZ250. The night before I started, Ashley put me on his Daytona 675 and I let the clutch out and walked it across the garage. Smooth as silk. The next day on the GZ, which is a single cylinder, I knew instantly that I did not want a single. Compared to the three pistons of the Daytona, it felt rough. This realization, I now know, was also the beginning stages of the pleasure of a motorcycle. The engine is right there, between your legs, where you can feel every rev,  vibration, and movement. I like the way that feels.

I'd recommend to anyone taking Indiana's ABATE course. Even if you don't plan to ride a motorcycle. You'll feel a sence of empowerment and competence that you never thought possible.