Hey everyone,
It sure has been a while! Last Saturday I met up with a stranger from Craigslist, who turned out to be a pretty cool guy, just a few years younger than me. He too was a beginner rider, on a red Suzuki Bandit. The two of us met at Barnes & Noble bookstore out across the river. We chatted for a little bit as I downed a water bottle and kept dehydration at bay. Then off we went all over the area, on a bright, hot, day, and clear skies in every direction.
Throughout our ride, I was following him as I didn't know the roads, and though he had a larger displacement bike, it wasn't too difficult to keep up. On the straightaways it was a bit tough to stay with him, but we rarely had any long straights. Passing through tight winding back roads, through country farms, over bridges and rivers, and through a forest, I took in scene after scene of beautiful countryside. It was probably one of the most phenomenal trips ever. There was no destination, just empty roads. We took an awesome S bend where I felt just like a MotoGP racer. I was practicing hanging off my bike (just a little bit, not recklessly!) and through that twist of road, I felt like I was defying gravity as myself and the bike leaned from a hard left lean into a hard right lean. Spectacular could not even fully describe that feeling, it is such a rush. Sure, most of our riding was at slower speeds, 25-40mph, but it didn't matter at all to us. Cornering is much more satisfying than riding in a straight line! However, after nearly four hours on the bike, my shoulders were aching horribly, my back was stiff, and my hands were hurting from shifting so much. Sadly, I called it a quits, said bye to my new friend, and head back home. Though I was tired, I got home with a giant grin on my face, as that was my best day yet.
My little Ninja is now clocking just shy of 600 miles on the odometer, which means I must get its first service this weekend! I have been riding 40 miles a day to work and back, though the trip is not nearly as exciting as most of the riding is upright. There is one sweeping S bend that I have been taking at roughly 35mph, which I want to practice on every day. I go slow to be careful, but I know the bike will go faster. I tend to hang off a little bit to keep the bike more upright, and I feel very planted and confident, but still, who knows what can happen! So far everything is going right, no more spills, and a lot of knowledge gained.
Oh but a quick caution..if you are lazy with your shifting, it is very much possible to get a false neutral, and you find that instead of hitting the next gear, you are stuck between two! I did this on the way home Saturday and was thoroughly surprised when the green machine redlined and I was slowing down! Found out that the trick is to keep the shift lever pushed until you release the clutch to make sure it meshes properly. This will take some time to get used to, but there is no hurry...I have a whole lifetime of riding ahead of me!
Stay safe and have a great rest of the week my friends!
-Pandabear
No comments:
Post a Comment