Earlier this year I completed a motorcycle skills training course, bought a Kawasaki Vulcan, and got my motorcycle license. I had ridden before back when I was still a teenager, but this time I actually got my license. Between May and September I rode about 10,000 kilometres- most of that was smaller rides in the 100 km or so range, but I had several 500+ kilometres days as well. During that time I learned a lot about riding, and more importantly about myself.
I successfully passed my ICBC motorcycle road test on June 15. It was, like all tests, pretty stressful, but once I was finished the effort disappeared into my rear view mirrors surprisingly quickly. I’m planning on taking some sort of “advanced” training in a year or two: my feeling is that simply riding can improve confidence, but that there are some skills that require specialized practice and a knowledgeable instructor.
I’ve been gradually personalizing my bike since I first bought it, but with my licensing behind me the brakes are off. I’ve replaced the grips, added a license plate frame, installed chrome trim on the fenders, put a gel pad on the seat for my aching behind, and acquired a sissy bar bag for when I need to carry a ton of gear. This is only the beginning of my list, which extends to include a new saddle, an air horn, new mirrors… I’m pretty sure, though, that I won’t be adding a cup holder (and yes, they are available).
I’m having a parking space built for my motorbike. There isn’t any extra room in the garage for it, and my car is tired of being parked out on the road. But like a lot of things in my life, this simple change is far more complicated than I was originally hoping.
The illness has somewhat impacted my “biker geek” adventures, but hasn’t halted them entirely. I’ve managed to put a bit over 600 kilometres on my Vulcan, 200 of which was accrued on my ride yesterday with my Nephew Shane and his cousin.
I’m pretty much finished my motorcycle lessons. Action Motorcycle has really done a good job giving me the basic skills I need to ride. I’ve completed my motorcycle skill assessment and had the “supervision required” and “no faster than 60 km/h” restrictions removed from my learners. And I took my very own motorbike out for its first ride today- the picture below was taken at about the mid-way point on my ride.
But I’m not quite ready yet to take my ICBC road test…
I am not going to post right away about the unhappy news this week about Bilbo. I’m still digesting that. Instead, I’ll talk about something you may have noticed in my recent Twits (twitter posts), or if you follow me on Facebook. I’ve been talking about a re-awakened interest in motorbikes.