Upon meeting my husband, I discovered he was a motorcycle enthusiast. I assumed motorcycles were dangerous. Those stories of friends who crashed. The road rash. Motorcycles were never on my radar. He was. I opened my mind and took the plunge.
First, I learned the rules:
- Always wear your helmet and protective gear.
- Always mount and dismount on the left side of the bike.
- Wait until he tells me to get on.
- Hold on while riding and at stops.
- Don’t get off until he tells me to.
My first date on a bike was at night. I wore my cutest outfit. The bike was a BMW R1100R. He loaned me a helmet and jacket. Didn’t really go with my outfit. We rode to a local Fish Camp for the sunset. A 15-mile ride. I slid back and forth on the saddle. Those sexy slacks couldn’t grip the vinyl. Visions of a crash occupied my mind.
We made our destination. My hands and knees were set in a death-defying grip. I was given the order to dismount. It took time. I was doubting the functionality of my radar.
He led me to a nice spot on the deck, facing the river. I had a glass of wine. We talked about everything. I found I liked him more. The sky glowed in hues of red and orange.
For the ride home, I was buzzing. The sky was dark and clear. The moon, almost full, was gleaming. At that moment I discovered a new love. The love of motorcycle riding.
Dirt Bikes Are Fun, Too
A few months into our relationship, we went to California. He had a cabin in the mountains. And he had a dirt bike. There would be some additional rules:
- If you get scared, jump off.
- When it looks like we’re going down, jump off.
- If he tells me to, jump off.
Easy enough. I wore full protective clothing. A jacket with back, shoulder and elbow pads. Pants with knee and hip pads. Helmet, gloves and sturdy boots. I looked like an astronaut.
The ride was amazing. We climbed steep hills. The landscape was like that of a Spaghetti Western. Dry and mountainous.
That dirt ride led me to want to drive. I practiced on a Yamaha XT225 and took a class. Never mastered the figure eight. I could duck walk like a pro, though. My next bike was a Suzuki SV650. Really nice bike. Fast with excellent brakes.
Scooters!
After nine years of playing house, we got hitched. Our honeymoon was a month-long adventure in Thailand.
Scooters are the main mode of transportation there. We rented two of them. Those bikes are considered semi-automatic. Gears to change but no clutch.
Different Country, Different Rules
- Drive on the left side of the road
- Move to the front of the pack at stops. Scooters have priority.
- Splitting traffic (driving between cars) is acceptable.
- Yield to scooters loaded down with produce and/or children.
- Ride on sidewalks as needed.
Thailand is a beautiful country. We rode over 2000 miles through farms and villages. The residents were always happy to see us. My riding proficiency escalated ten-fold.
Those adventures were the first of many in my adult life. An open mind, respect for the rules and a glass of wine can be very enlightening.
Until next month; enjoy your adventures.
Note: This blog is sponsored by me, Karen J Adams. Any recommendations or suggestions are purely my own opinion without the exchange of money.
Unpublished work © 2021 Karen J Adams
