💾 Archived View for tilde.club › ~skyhulk › motorcycle.gmi captured on 2022-06-03 at 23:01:14. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
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Quite a bit has happened, so I'll tell the story from the start.
I knew that a good friend of mine was planning to go do the motorbike learner's license course, that's how the seed was planted. I mentioned in passing that maybe I should do it too, and she suggested we go do it together - it's more fun that way. We were waiting for Melbourne lockdown to end, plus there were some further weeks of faffing, but eventually we were booked in to do it March of this year. The course is held over a weekend, out at an old half-derelict raceway off the motorway, and includes the written test, an on-range test then an on-road test.
I failed the on-range test because I stalled the bike too many times. We were learning on Honda CB150Es. They needed to take some of the seat padding out so I could reach the ground with my feet. My friend, Sam, passed, so I went home early and she continued with the remainder of the course. The people who run the riding school were supportive, and they let me re-register for a couple of week's time to try again.
I passed the second time - it helped that the instructor didn't tell me I was being tested when I was. I just thought I was running through a demo. I passed the on-road test too, which was quite exciting as I got up to 80km/h on the Calder Freeeway. Wind really kicks in at that speed!
At this point I was feeling like I would follow through with learning to ride. Sam, however, told me then that she wasn't into it. I was surprised as she is someone I see as very courageous - but she was scared shitless the whole time it turns out. I committed to the idea and on a Friday I went out and bought a full riding kit (leather jacket, kevlar jeans, helmet, gloves) and then I went and put a deposit on a new Kawasaki Z400.
Right now the bike dealers don't have much stock so I couldn't even test ride it first. I'm not sure I wanted to do that in front of anyone in any case, if I'm honest. I bought it because it felt good when I sat on it, and it seemed like a good learner bike based on what I could find out on the internet. (Having said that, I don't think bike reviewers are necessarily being very critical, nor are they considering suitability for someone like me - 5'2" and with not much body strength.)
It took a while for the bike to arrive. It was delivered to me on the 25th.
I waited until the Friday, my day off, and went down to the carport with the manual. I gave myself a full tour of the bike, to make sure I knew what everything was and how to find the regular inspection and maintenance points: the fluid levels (of which there are many), tyre tread, and just how to open up the compartments and so on. I wheeled the bike out so it was pointing down the driveway towards the road. While sitting on the bike and playing with the controls one of my neighbours, Riak, walked past and we had a long chat. Riak is also a motorcyclist although he doesn't have a bike at the moment. He had lots of advice. It's nice when people are like that.
One thing I need to say is that my universal impression is that motorcycle people just love bikes and want to share. Everyone I have come across--from the instructors, dealership sales, gear sales, and just people who ride--has been really friendly and not judgemental in the slightest. When I was at the accessories shop I was chatting with a couple of the staff and at one point one just looked off into the distance saying, "yeah. Bikes are cool. Bikes are fun."
Where was I? Oh yes. I went up and down the driveway a few times in first gear, making sure I had the feel for the friction point and low-speed control. No issues there. But I packed it up and went back upstairs because my mouth was parched. I was just feeling stressed and, yes, terrified.
Terror isn't an unfamiliar feeling for me, and I'm not going to pathologise it because it's not like that, I'm just a scaredy-cat. Throughout the day my stomach was kind of upset and I just needed to get my stress levels down.
The next day I thought about riding all day but didn't. I told myself it's because Saturdays are too busy around here. It's true--we are hemmed in by major roads and a very busy shopping area that's all pedestrians and street parking--but let's be honest, I was also avoiding. I told my partner that I would go for a ride first thing the next morning. As it turned out, I had a bad night's sleep and woke up spluttering (post-covid cough, ugh). I slept in until 9.30 but I was feeling good.
So I just hopped right on and rode out the driveway. I looped around the streets in my immediate vicinity and even went down a short stretch of a major road, getting up into fourth gear. The bike feels good at higher and lower speeds! (I say higher, but I topped out at about 40km/h. Still!). The traffic was picking up noticeably--cars pulling in and out of street parking everywhere, and the parking spots filling up making it harder to u-turn my way here and there--so I've packed it in for the moment.
At this point I'm feeling much better to have done that. I have been intimidated by the bike. But what I have discovered so far is that it's a good size for me. I can put either foot down easily (both feet down not advised, as it presents the risk of losing balance). I can reach the whole bike while I'm standing and wheeling it around. The passenger seat has a strap which makes a really useful grabbing point in case I feel like I'm losing control and it's falling away from me. And it's very easy to hear and feel the gears.
I feel like this is day one!