Monday, May 07, 2007

One week (or so) in the saddle

So I've been a motorcycle owner for a little more than one week now, and I have to say that riding is probably the most existential thing I have ever done. When you're riding a motorcycle, things come into focus in ways that are hard to explain. Obviously, there are far fewer distractions. No radio, no cellphone, no A, B, and C pillars blocking your vision. The wind noise becomes white noise in your ears and the sound emanating from the motorcycle's mechanicals becomes a sort of music unto itself. Riding with a full face helmet cuts down on much of the howl, so you can tune into the noises coming from the bike, as well as traffic as it flows around you.

Traffic is obviously the aspect of riding that causes the greatest concern. I've ridden a few minutes in peak rush hour on Tampa Road and I have to admit, there is nothing enjoyable about it. Couldn't get out of that lane changing, start-stopping, riding into the sun, mess fast enough. I've ridden some night traffic going to and coming from Quaker Steak and Lube in Largo, which wasn't so bad. But most of my riding has been on the weekends, so traffic has been reasonable most of the time. If you're running the speed limit and not doing any passing, weaving, etc, people seem to see you and respect your space. If someone in a car (or fucking-idiot-cager, as most riders refer to them) seem to be in a hurry, I move over and get out of their way, or hold my line and let them pass. I'm not out to break any speed records and when I'm riding, I am in anything but a hurry, so I do my best to let the cagers do their thing, while I cruise along and enjoy the ride.

And enjoying the ride is really what it's all about. The funny part is, I could be on just about any motorcycle and enjoy things all the same. For me, the thrill really is about being in the wind. The physical experience of riding a motorcycle is freeing in some intangible way that can't really be described, it has to be experienced. Whether you are on a Harley, a Honda, or a Vespa, the sensation of movement through space is the same. Some prefer to go faster, some slower, but ultimately, when it is just you, the bike, and the road, a sort of cerebral cleansing takes place. You're focused on what you're doing, what others are doing around you, but the entire time you are subconsciously aware of the visceral experience and your mind is freed of the trivial worries that would otherwise occupy it.

I imagine what it must be like to meander through the Black Hills near Sturgis or take a ride out to the Grand Canyon from Vegas and I long for more vacation time and more of the gorgeous weather we have been getting. In a very real way, the old saying that "four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul" makes sense after a few hundred miles of riding. Honestly, I can't wait to saddle up and explore some more.

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Posted by Erik @ 5/07/2007 09:31:00 AM