OTB
03-03-2008, 07:51 PM
One of the reasons I love motorcycling so much is the very dynamic, ever-changing nature of the ride, be it the road and conditions, the motorcycle itself, the weather and temps, and the very nature of the sport.
If you have never had the opportunity to ride a sixties or seventies to mid-eighties streetbike, you simply cannot fathom how EXCELLENT and FANTASTIC todays streetbikes really are. They run, ride, stop and handle like magic.
It was about in the sixties here today when I got off work. I have about an hour drive home, and the bikes were out in droves. I got to watch a number of riders almost dump it...usually at intersections; either taking off from a light or stopsign and stepping out the rear, to one fellow passing me on a stretch of twisty two lane entering a corner over the double yellow and nearly putting it in the weeds.
The very dynamic nature of the sport means that not only are the conditions around me changing, but that I as a rider, change constantly also: the more I ride, the more I practice, the more my small and large motorskills groove into "muscle memory"; making difficult manuevers routine and adding to the depth of my tools in my emergency toolbag. Conversely, if I am off of riding for a substantial period (like 2-3 mos), my skills and reactions erode from disuse; judgement suffers, I feel clumsy, jerky and uncoordinated. "Just like riding a bicycle; you never forget"); Maybe, but all athletes go through camp or spring training or whatever to recover what they lost "off season".
This week is supposed to be pretty nice around here...the days are gonna be longer with more light later, and DLST starts up this Sunday; I think I'll set aside some "parking lot" time.....set up some sand-filled paper cups (keeps em from blowing around) and practice my low-speed manuevers along with some e-braking and swerves....just to remind myself there's more to this thing than sitting on the seat squeezing levers, and helping my body "dynamically" readjust to the requirements of riding, as well as getting the "static out of the attic".
Happy riding, ya'll...
OTB
If you have never had the opportunity to ride a sixties or seventies to mid-eighties streetbike, you simply cannot fathom how EXCELLENT and FANTASTIC todays streetbikes really are. They run, ride, stop and handle like magic.
It was about in the sixties here today when I got off work. I have about an hour drive home, and the bikes were out in droves. I got to watch a number of riders almost dump it...usually at intersections; either taking off from a light or stopsign and stepping out the rear, to one fellow passing me on a stretch of twisty two lane entering a corner over the double yellow and nearly putting it in the weeds.
The very dynamic nature of the sport means that not only are the conditions around me changing, but that I as a rider, change constantly also: the more I ride, the more I practice, the more my small and large motorskills groove into "muscle memory"; making difficult manuevers routine and adding to the depth of my tools in my emergency toolbag. Conversely, if I am off of riding for a substantial period (like 2-3 mos), my skills and reactions erode from disuse; judgement suffers, I feel clumsy, jerky and uncoordinated. "Just like riding a bicycle; you never forget"); Maybe, but all athletes go through camp or spring training or whatever to recover what they lost "off season".
This week is supposed to be pretty nice around here...the days are gonna be longer with more light later, and DLST starts up this Sunday; I think I'll set aside some "parking lot" time.....set up some sand-filled paper cups (keeps em from blowing around) and practice my low-speed manuevers along with some e-braking and swerves....just to remind myself there's more to this thing than sitting on the seat squeezing levers, and helping my body "dynamically" readjust to the requirements of riding, as well as getting the "static out of the attic".
Happy riding, ya'll...
OTB