Monday, July 09, 2007

Riding in the wee hours is tense...

yet satisfying. The wind is cooler, the roads nearly empty, and the moon a comforting guide in the indigo sky above.

Riding at ~1am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning creates a difficult conundrum. The push-pull of tranquility versus danger is never stronger for me than when I am riding late on a party night. The pros: cool air, nearly empty roads, and the calm of darkness. The cons: the concealing nature of said darkness, and the knowledge that a significant number of the cars you encounter are being piloted by drivers who have, at the very least, had one or two drinks before getting behind the wheel. So you are enchanted by the mystical sensations of riding a motorcycle in the wee hours, while simultaneously being assaulted by the uneasiness brought about by sharing the road with what you have to assume are cars full of drunk people. I normally ride with the idea that I am invisible at the fore of my mind, but the anxiety surrounding the idea's implications is heightened in the early hours of a Sunday morning. Drunk cagers are the worst kind of cagers.

Letting fear become an overwhelming part of the experience is a huge mistake. I slow more heavily at intersections, take a third or fourth look before pulling out of a side street, and even pull over when a car approaches in the mirros, all in an effort to stay out of a drunk driver's way, but I do not let fear overwhelm my judgment. Riding a motorcycle is as humbling as it is freeing, no matter the hour, so it is always better to be cautious. Your spirit flies, but you have to remember that your physical self is very much still traveling through an unforgiving reality here on the ground. You have to ride in a state of heightened vigilance, because the cagers who are not ordinarily looking for you to in the daylight hours are now driving around at night, some of them with alcohol doing the thinking. That said, I do not regularly ride at that hour, but Saturday was such a full day and it felt so good to be out on the bike, I just couldn't resist.

First thing in the morning, I dropped my OEM seat off at Stitch On Time in Saint Petersburg. The owner/operator Bryan seems to be genuinely concerned with the quality of his work, the quality of his product, and the customer's enjoyment. Let's hope he makes good on his promises of comfort and an improved riding position. I decided to go with a burgundy/black alligator combination that should look a lot less tacky than it sounds. He provided an OEM Fatboy seat to use as a stand-in while mine is being reconstructed, so my scoot will not be down for the 7-10 business days it takes to complete the work, which is a relief. The custom seat will not be cheap, but from what I've been told and from what I have seen, I'll be glad to have spent the money with every mile that rolls by. :)

That afternoon, I rode to Largo and met up with Lamonte, a buddy from high school whom I hadn't seen in 6 or 7 years. He and his family are in town from Indiana visiting his mother-in-law. I had met his wife Angie before, but had not ever been introduced to his children Payton and McKenna. Payton, his son, is the oldest, McKenna, his daughter, is a couple of years younger. They both seem like great little kids. We had dinner, the youngsters held an impromptu show-and-tell session, and I got to show off Audrey. Lamonte rides a 600cc sport bike, so Payton was familiar with motorcycles, and he was very eager to go for a ride. Unfortunately, my passenger pillion is off until my seat is back, so all he could do is watch me ride away.

By the time I left Largo, it was after 10:00 and I was late for a UFC gathering at the Castricone's, so I boogied over there in time to catch the three marquee fights that I really wanted to see. While I was there, something unexpected happened. I got a text message from The Ex. Apparently she was in the PH area and wanted to say hi. After a little back and forth via text messages, I decided to ride over and meet up. Now, before any of you who know the history I have with this girl start groaning, understand that I am not the type to hate any of the girls I have dated. I have no problem with being friends and I no longer drink to excess, so the situation was not an excuse to hook-up or anything of that nature. I was out on the bike, didn't feel like parking it for the night, and the bar she and some friends were drinking at wasn't far away. Nothing happened, they had a DD, it was a polite, cordial, and platonic situation, so no worries, and no assumptions. Thanks. ;)

Labels: ,

Posted by Erik @ 7/09/2007 10:47:00 AM