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I bought a motorbike!

rakehell

01:47 / 21.02.03

This is my motorbike!!

Photo taken from the ad. I finally bit the bullet and went out and got a licence - still can't bring myself to drive a car, vile things that they are.

Having never - in 27 years - driven or ridden anything that's not powered by me, this is proving a singular and exhilarating experience. Does anyone else here ride?

There's a lot of things I could write about not relying on public transport increasing my social-life, about vehicles shrinking distances thus increasing the size of my "world", how the time it takes me to get places is now so much shorter that I feel like a time traveller because I'm already there when I should be waiting for a bus... but right now I'm too busy jumping on, riding and shouting WHEEEE! as I try and not die.

Does anyone remember the first time they drove/rode? How your perception of distance/time changed? Or is the feeling completely different when you get your licence at 17/18 than at 27?

Mazarine

02:01 / 21.02.03

Congratulations! I'm totally jealous, my Dad and brother both ride, but I have yet to learn. And of course: please, please, please wear your helmet. Congratulations on your new mobility.

aus

04:03 / 21.02.03

Damn. Just look at that.

I want one.

Unencumbered

06:56 / 21.02.03

Nice one, rakehell. I ride, and have done for years. I've never learnt to drive a car because I've never needed or wanted to.

I'd strongly advise you to get out to some bike rallies. You'll meet some great people who love biking as much as you do and have a whale of a time.

Ariadne

07:27 / 21.02.03

Ooh, I'm jealous. I've always wanted to learn to ride a bike but never got round to it.

Even having a bicycle can change things - I remember the first time I got one as an adult, and coming out of work and just setting off home was such bliss compared to waiting for an unreliable bus. Mind you, that was in Auckland when I only had a 30 minute ride home through quiet roads - it's a different world when you set off home from the middle of London. I usually wimp out and get the tube.

Maybe I need a motorbike? Hmmmm.

Have fun anyway, and be careful.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

07:42 / 21.02.03

Cool.

The whole "driving"/"age" thing. I learned to drive when I was 17, and hardly drove at all after that. Two years ago I drove from London to Cornwall (the first time I'd driven in about 6 or 7 years) and was amazed to find just how familiar the experience was. I was probably a bit more careful than when I was younger, though. I didn't smoke any dope for a start.

I always liked the idea of a bike, but think I'd probably find the reality just that bit too scary.

rakehell

23:39 / 23.02.03

Everybody needs a motorbike!

It is scary, but the good scary, the one that makes you happy at the same time.

I've only been riding for two weeks and I'm wondering when the grinning stops. I cannot imagine that driving a car would be even half as much fun. Even being stuck in traffic and trying to find gaps between cars is fun in a way that sitting stuck in a car just wouldn't be.

BTW Mazarine, it's against the law in Australia to ride without a helmet, so no worries there. Also my helmet is black/white/silver with a silver visor. I'm tempted to wear it even when not riding.

Trijhaos

23:58 / 23.02.03

I ride, but it's been a few years. My bike's sitting in the garage. It doesn't really need to much work to make it ridable, there just never seems to be a good time to get out there, tear the front end off and replace the parts that need replacing.

I actually got my motorcycle license before I got a regular license. It didn't bother me much, but it drove the woman at the DMV crazy since most people do it the other way around.

Just be careful out there, other motorists aren't exactly motorcycle friendly. If you can, try and take a safety course. It's not exactly the most fun you'll ever have, but you'll learn some valuable skills and if you're lucky perhaps get a break on insurance.

Babooshka

15:01 / 24.02.03

Everybody needs a motorbike! – rakehell

I sure do! I'd love to ride one...

...but I can't even ride a bicycle without falling over on my arse

So sad.

Are bicycle-riding skills necessary to ride a motorcycle?

Trijhaos

19:57 / 24.02.03

Are bicycle-riding skills necessary to ride a motorcycle?

Not really. The only thing that really carries over is balance. You have to be aware of how the position of your body effects the motorcycle. For example, if you leaned all your weight to the left of the bike, there's a pretty damned good chance you're going to tip over and fall on your ass. You just need to know "Ok, if I tip over this much, it helps me go around the curves easier, but if I tip over this much, then I fall on my head"

Unencumbered

06:48 / 25.02.03

Balance is only really needed at low speeds. Once you get above a certain speed (on my bike, about 20mph) the wheels start to act like gyroscopes and keep the bike stable.

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