Most people think that summertime is when the motorcycles come out and everyone is riding. Well to an extent it is. It's when all of the people who are wanting the attention are riding. When the leaves start to turn and the temperature is beginning to drop is when it really happens. I believe this is mostly due to the fact that serious riders are wearing protective gear. In the heat of the summer this is possible but not comfortable. I always loved this time of year because I could finally be comfortable on my bike.
Recently I traded my bike for a diesel truck. I think for right now I'm just out of my sport bike riding phase. I may find that to be untrue at some point but for now I'm okay not having a motorcycle. I will definitely be acquiring another bike at some point but not sure if it'll be a cruiser or something sporty again.
With the change of the seasons whatever signals me to want to ride has signaled others as well. I've seen a lot of motorcycles out lately and it got me thinking about why people ride. For some it's a great and cheap way to see the mountains. For others it's a pure adrenaline rush. For me it was an escape from the everyday and a way to convene with God. When riding a sport bike (not cruising, moving at a significant speed) you have to offer up a great deal of concentration. Having to concentrate so much on the task at hand releases your mind from the worries of everyday life. From my house it's about a twenty minute ride to where the roads get really twisty. I would usually take this time to allow my mind to run through all my normal thoughts and wanderings. Once I arrived at the foot of the mountain a switch was thrown and everything changed. I often rode with an ipod (which I know is illegal but not the first offense for me) and would listen to things like the Last of the Mohicans theme. Being instrumental it offered something to entertain better than the drone of the motor but not enough to distract. On a side note I will say the rhythm of the song is very driving and would often cause me to go faster than I normally would, but oh well that's what the bikes are made for. Once on my way up the mountain thoughts quickly go from when I have to be back at work to push left, lean left, go left, and reacting to feedback from the bike. I begin to progressively lean harder into the curves and accelerate harder out of the apex. With each turn I can literally feel my worries falling further and further behind.
I also mentioned riding being a conference with God. As I lean harder and harder into each turn I realize how much I'm relying on the physics of the motorcycle and the compound of the tires to work. And I begin to have a steady and serious dialogue with God. It's part of that facing my own mortality I spoke of in the last post. When going through a turn marked 35 mph at 65 mph I see how things could go horribly wrong. But I just have to force myself to have faith in the physics of the world God has create and the knowledge he instilled in the engineers of the motorcycle and the tires. And believe me there is no time I talked to God more seriously and reverently than when I would feel my rear tire start to slide through the corners. It was a feeling of "I may be coming to see you shortly so let's go ahead and make my peace."
For some people even the thought of riding a motorcycle is terrifying. But I honestly believe that if they would just ride one time they wouldn't think it so terrifying. They may not love it but at least wouldn't think it was so bad. I understand that blistering through the mountains at mach 5 isn't for everyone but that's why they make cruiser style bikes too. There is nothing else like riding a motorcycle. It's as close to flying as you can get other than skydiving. If you close your eyes it's like you can almost imagine there is nothing else around you. But don't close your eyes to long because like I said it demands a lot of concentration.
It's another key to being wild. Ride a motorcycle. At least once in your life. You may not love it but it will honestly give you a feeling you will never forget.
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