My dad was cool enough to ride my V-Strom back to homestead from the neighborhood Motorcycle garage (thanks, Brad!) during his lunch break, giving me exactly 30 minutes to get in my first practice session.
For those of you who have not ever learned to ride a motorcycle: it is not easy! In fact, I think learning to drive a car was even harder, if only because there were far fewer things to think about, aside from the position, speed, and direction of the car in relation to everything else. The gas pedal was easy to press, and the automatic transmission didn't allow the car to jump underneath me (more thoughts on the topic at a later date).
I am not saying I am an expert, but I do believe I have found the secret to lasting one's first 10 minutes on a motorcycle:
- Stay relaxed
- Learn how the motorcycle feels
- Learn how the motorcycle is going to feel when even the slightest adjustment is made.
It's actually not that different from learning how to drive a manual transmission, accept that there is the slightest difference of vehicular attitude in relationship to the ground, vis. the loss of two wheels, a composite metal cage, and air conditioning.
My personal Motorcycle Instructor (also known as "Dad") gave me the first goal to surmount:
TASK #1
"Start and stop 10 times on the flat streets of the neighborhood, reaching 2nd gear each time, stopping without breaking wheel traction, and starting again without stalling the engine."
Having learned to ride from scratch twice before (The MSF Basic Rider's Course), I at least remembered that there is no way to predict what riding a motorcycle will feel like, so be prepared to be surprised. I am glad, because letting out the clutch for the first time in three years was just this side of scary. Wow, what a feeling!
I'll hit the specifics later, but I should at least say that only rubber hit the road today.
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