Experience Rider Prespective
Some say motorcycling is a sport...That is true but sport is only one element of motorcycling.
Some say motorcycling is transportation...That is true, until you ride the same road 20 times in a day because it's just soooo curvy.
Some say motorcycling is an art...Did mozart die if he missed a note? Did Rembrandt lose his leg because he smeared some paint?
Some say motorcycling is a way of life...This is maybe closest to a complete description. But for many, it's only a part of their life.
Whatever motorcycling is to you, never forget that it is always bigger than you are. You can't conquer it, beat it, control it, tame it, or win it. You can ride for 20,000 miles with no wrecks, then wreck twice in 1 week because something changed in your head. You can do everything right, and still find yourself nose to nose with a Freightliner. You can ride 100 stand up wheelies in front of Wal-Mart, and die 100 feet from your house because you blipped the throttle and missed a stop sign. When you start to feel comfortable, it's time to start over with the basics.
You can ride a 1000 every day, and yet not be able to squeeze half of the potential out of a Ninja 250. You can have all the self-control in the world, and not have 1 ounce of control over a 600+ cc bike.
Furthermore, you can master the twisties, drag your knee on every turn, and wheelie on demand, and still have no clue what to do when 90 year old Mrs. Rose pulls out of the church parking lot while you were glancing at the hottie in the car next to you.
Motorcycling may be all of the things above, but I like most to compare it to life itself. We begin as babies, occasionally pooping ourselves, we quickly become 2 year olds...able to get into lots of trouble (but on a small bike, we're able to recover after a few tears). We have parents (older riders) looking out for us, but sometimes they're as stumped by our stupidity as we are. We grow into teenagers, think we've got it all figured out, get a little crazy, and find that life (motorcycling) gives us a swift kick in the pants. We grow to maturity, and soon find ourselves coaching others, not pridefully as we did as teenagers, but because we've been in their shoes and care for them. It's at that point, however, that we enter the real world and realize that everything we've figured out just points to the exponentially greater amount that we have left to learn. Only with many years of experience to we begin to truly understand, and by that point the youngsters see us as old farts with no courage.
With motorcycling...this doesn't take a full 65 years or so...but you get the idea. Some things only come with experience. Safely locking up brakes without wrecking from 60 mph takes a few tries...doing it with a "wide load" sign growing larger in your visor AND in your mirrors...that takes experience.
Anyone can release a clutch and twist a throttle with practice. Anyone can make a liter bike go slow, for a few seconds. Making a GSXR-1000 go 2 mph takes skill though. "Big bikes are for people that can't make small bikes go fast" pretty much sums it up.
Many of you new riders are becoming cocky, questioning the suggestions of the seasoned riders, and even complaining that we're being presumptuous or biased in our advice. The truth is, we've been in your shoes. Many of us began our bike-life as squids. Many of us have the scars of road rash, the dead friends and relatives, and the busted bike parts to prove it.
Whether it's ugly, slow, uncomfortable, or doesn't match your furniture...starting on a 250 or 500 WILL make you safer, and help you learn faster. It will protect you and others from expenses, injury, or even death. You've heard much of this before, but apparently it's not getting through, as many of you are questioning it. Threads are being closed because of the flaming that results when people say stupid, squidly things. Rather than arguing...the new riders need to see that while we are all learning, there are lessons better learned by observation than experience.
Some say motorcycling is transportation...That is true, until you ride the same road 20 times in a day because it's just soooo curvy.
Some say motorcycling is an art...Did mozart die if he missed a note? Did Rembrandt lose his leg because he smeared some paint?
Some say motorcycling is a way of life...This is maybe closest to a complete description. But for many, it's only a part of their life.
Whatever motorcycling is to you, never forget that it is always bigger than you are. You can't conquer it, beat it, control it, tame it, or win it. You can ride for 20,000 miles with no wrecks, then wreck twice in 1 week because something changed in your head. You can do everything right, and still find yourself nose to nose with a Freightliner. You can ride 100 stand up wheelies in front of Wal-Mart, and die 100 feet from your house because you blipped the throttle and missed a stop sign. When you start to feel comfortable, it's time to start over with the basics.
You can ride a 1000 every day, and yet not be able to squeeze half of the potential out of a Ninja 250. You can have all the self-control in the world, and not have 1 ounce of control over a 600+ cc bike.
Furthermore, you can master the twisties, drag your knee on every turn, and wheelie on demand, and still have no clue what to do when 90 year old Mrs. Rose pulls out of the church parking lot while you were glancing at the hottie in the car next to you.
Motorcycling may be all of the things above, but I like most to compare it to life itself. We begin as babies, occasionally pooping ourselves, we quickly become 2 year olds...able to get into lots of trouble (but on a small bike, we're able to recover after a few tears). We have parents (older riders) looking out for us, but sometimes they're as stumped by our stupidity as we are. We grow into teenagers, think we've got it all figured out, get a little crazy, and find that life (motorcycling) gives us a swift kick in the pants. We grow to maturity, and soon find ourselves coaching others, not pridefully as we did as teenagers, but because we've been in their shoes and care for them. It's at that point, however, that we enter the real world and realize that everything we've figured out just points to the exponentially greater amount that we have left to learn. Only with many years of experience to we begin to truly understand, and by that point the youngsters see us as old farts with no courage.
With motorcycling...this doesn't take a full 65 years or so...but you get the idea. Some things only come with experience. Safely locking up brakes without wrecking from 60 mph takes a few tries...doing it with a "wide load" sign growing larger in your visor AND in your mirrors...that takes experience.
Anyone can release a clutch and twist a throttle with practice. Anyone can make a liter bike go slow, for a few seconds. Making a GSXR-1000 go 2 mph takes skill though. "Big bikes are for people that can't make small bikes go fast" pretty much sums it up.
Many of you new riders are becoming cocky, questioning the suggestions of the seasoned riders, and even complaining that we're being presumptuous or biased in our advice. The truth is, we've been in your shoes. Many of us began our bike-life as squids. Many of us have the scars of road rash, the dead friends and relatives, and the busted bike parts to prove it.
Whether it's ugly, slow, uncomfortable, or doesn't match your furniture...starting on a 250 or 500 WILL make you safer, and help you learn faster. It will protect you and others from expenses, injury, or even death. You've heard much of this before, but apparently it's not getting through, as many of you are questioning it. Threads are being closed because of the flaming that results when people say stupid, squidly things. Rather than arguing...the new riders need to see that while we are all learning, there are lessons better learned by observation than experience.
posted by Dave at 3:40 PM
GR. More information can be found at progressive.com.
