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.