I remember riding my first motorcycle.
I was nervous the first few miles of the ride but soon after I became one with the machine. I remember how smoothly it ran underneath me and how effortlessly it could accelerate. I remember the wind through my hair and the way it felt against my face. I felt so much more a part of the world I passed through.
The smell of the asphalt on the highway, the warmth of the road on a long summer's day, the crisp cool chill of the morning. I could feel the misty spray of the settled morning dew as it was picked up. The rubber and steel of the throttle felt godlike in my control.
It took only mere thought to control the course of the ride. It became so much more than a machine. It was a door to freedom that required you have the courage to throw open, because only full commitment was accepted to unlock it.
Like a time traveler, my soul was retracted to a time when life was simpler and man and machine were one. When there were no computers, only gasoline, a spark, and a slamming piston.
W. Justin Hook
It’s natural to be nervous the first time you ride a motorbike! There are many things to think about, from starting the bike correctly to keeping it balanced on the road, to learning how to adjust speed…Whew! It’s a lot to take in. But then once you get on that saddle and rev up your ride, you realize that it’s fairly simple. If you’re a natural born rider, then you’ll very soon take to the motorbike like a fish to the sea.
ReplyDeleteClare Westby