💾 Archived View for tilde.club › ~skyhulk › motorcycle.gmi captured on 2023-06-14 at 14:40:49. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2023-01-29)
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Only one week has passed and everything has changed! I got a call about the trade-in and the Grom quite early in the week. The offer was okay once one accepts that shops are there to make money, and given the convenience factor. I really didn't want to deal with listing a bike and talking to randos about it. As the week drew on I was feeling pretty positive. So I went to the shop on Friday to see the Grom. It's so small! Like our car, the bike is red and cute. Sitting on it, I can shift my weight from one foot to the other and feel in complete control of the bike as it tips. Is is more e-bike than motorbike? (Spoiler: no.)
I decided on the spot to go for it and got them to swing a free service and free delivery/pick up. In trying to figure out a day to do the switch all that upcoming work travel I have to do just got in the way so we decided to do it that night. Exciting!
By the time they came to the flat and switched bikes it was time to walk the dog and then go out (we went to see Flux Gourmet). While walking the dog a ringtail possum ran up my leg and then the dog briefly caught the possum. Yes, this is a tangent, but it's not like I could possibly omit such a detail. Then the following day we went out to see the olds, which always takes up a whole day. Anyway the point is I didn't actually get to ride the Grom until today.
And ride it I did! And wow, it's so different. I followed my normal practice route to begin with but instead of doing my usual block, I kept going straight and crossed to the other side of the railway line. Kept going and we're (we being me and the bike) going past Seddon train station. It's the way we (we being me and Adrian) usually walk or cycle to the movies. Lots of roundabouts. The bike is an absolute doddle! I took the right turn up to enter Somerville Road and then turned into smaller streets to get alongside Yarraville station. I parked it (that is a first!) and got off to take a quick photo.
The rest was getting slightly lost in the back streets of Yarraville and then coming back a similar way. Taking off from each traffic light or stop sign the bike was willing me to give it a bit more each time. It just wants to go fast. It gets up to speed so quickly and you're just flying along happily. I didn't stall it once, I rode right around that awkward corner into the building's driveway and even rode it straight into the carport. These are all things I have never done before. And I can waddle into place without a fuss.
I am so glad I did this!
I was a bit slow to get back on once again, but I got out early on Friday for a ride. It felt good, and I was slightly more adventurous, but not very much. The rubbish trucks were out, so I tried to avoid them as I lapped the block. At one point I caught up with them, which just turned out to be a good time to practice going slow.
Later that day I dropped into a bike shop to talk about potential other options. I'm not convinced I should switch bikes, but it's worth a look and a good excuse to talk with knowledgeable people. I sat on a Virago cruiser just to see what it's like to sit lower and be able to push it along with my legs. I still don't want a cruiser, but I can see why a shorter person might do. I also sat on a Honda 300cc bike but it felt bigger than my bike.
The only two options that might be ok were the CB125E (the learner bike) or a Honda Grom. The Grom is cute, but someone at some point said it might not be a good first bike because the wheels are small, but as the bike shop dude said, scooters have small wheels too. It'd just struggle to go fast. But maybe it'd be more fun for me. Anyway, when the Grom they have is ready (it just came in second hand) they're going to give me a call.
I now just need to send in a photo of my bike to suss out a ballpark trade-in.
That's about all for now - just plodding along trying to motivate myself to practice.
Picking up from my last entry, I did have my on-road lesson the following week and it was another success. Many more double thumbs ups and everything felt good. As I did when I got my learner's permit, I got up to 80 km/h on the Calder Freeway. My pulse barely raised. It's all fine.
I did also post an ad to sell the bike, but didn't get any responses. I don't think Gumtree is the place to try and do that. I've pulled the ad now and am content to keep going on the bike I have.
So I've been out by myself twice since then, both on Friday mornings before the neighbourhood roads get busy. My street has changed in the intervening time, it's now got "pop-up bike lanes" (for cyclists) which involve a whole lot of traffic coralling and calming devices that have the effect of making motorists do stupid manouevres like veering wildly around speed bumps and driving over traffic islands. Anyway that is beside the point; as for my motorcycle practice, I've been doing laps that get me up into fourth gear and pass through a car park that is mostly empty, where I can practice low speed and taking off.
The other day I bumped into one of my neighbours, who is also female and not particularly tall or big, and found out she got her bike licence in her 40s. Learning that made this feel a bit more possible. The fact the days are getting longer now is also helping.
The other thing that's changed is I've started riding a bicycle again. It always seems to involve late-night trips back from the city, which is a fun time.
So I am feeling much calmer about the whole motorcycle thing. It's still scary and challenging, but I think I have now wrapped my head around the task. It's ok if I can't pick my bike up. I can find assistance if I need it. It is also ok if I can't very well use my feet to propel the bike (Flintstones style) because of my height in relation to the bike. I can get off the bike and walk it, I just need to make sure I'm leaning it against my hip so it doesn't fall away from me.
I think now I feel ok to ride the bike to a destination rather than just doing practice rides. Definitely planning my trip so I don't get stuck needing to do a tricky hillstart, say, but that doesn't rule much out. And getting up to faster speeds so that I feel less limited about where I can go.
Well, first of all, I did not go for a ride last Sunday.
Instead, I booked a one-on-one lesson at the place where I did my Ls for Friday. That was yesterday. And it was really good, but really weird.
So the instructor and I walked up to the shed where they store the learner bikes (Honda CB125Es) and I mentioned that they needed to give me a lower seat. Despite that, he gave me a normal-seated bike to start with. And it felt tiny. As if the only two possible explanations were that either the bike had shrunk (unlikely) or I had grown (something which has not happened since 1993. I know this from the height mark on the doorframe of my mum's kitchen). I could even put my feet almost completely on the ground.
My mind still boggling, I took off and did a few little laps around the range as demonstration of where I'm at. It was absolutely fine. I stopped and the instructor said exactly that. We then rode around, the whole range to ourselves, me following him so that I didn't know which way he was going until he went that way. Also fine.
We did some slow manouevres snaking around plastic cones, which took me a few goes to get into. I just needed to relax and shift my weight around the seat more. Once I did that, it was good. Returning to the start after a good one the instructor - a bloke dressed in black including half-face helmet and sunglasses, goatee and straggly ponytail - what I am saying is, a man with intense motorbike energy - gave me a double thumbs up and a "hell yeah" look. Later I reaslied this must be how it feels to be friends with Ray Smuckles.
A few more exercises followed before the hour was up. I've booked in again for next week, this time going out on the road.
A further revelation was that despite having had an almost completely negative time with my bike, I have actually improved my riding skills since getting it. I didn't even stall the bike once (although I was revving it a bit too high). I guess that's also why the learner bike felt smaller. So that was kind of nice. It all feels very doable again.
I am now quite sure that I bought the wrong bike. I can definitely see that people do outgrow their bike, and that for most in hindsight they would wish they'd bought a beefier bike. But for me, I think if I'd bought a 125-ish cc I'd be having a much better and funner time of it right now. I would be getting the hang of it without all the stress of trying to handle something so heavy and large. And then it would be completely fine as time went on to either be happy to stay there, or to move up.
The upshot of all this is that I will have to sell my bike and get a little one. That's a bummer because I will have wasted money, and it'll be a hassle, but on the other hand my experience so far has really been a process of learning what is right for me by doing. I did tonnes of research and asking everyone I know for their advice, but there really is no substitute for taking things for a spin yourself.
Today while taking the dog for a walk a saw a woman who looked pretty short riding a Yamamha sports bike stopped at the lights. She was on her tiptoes and was wearing workboots, maybe to give her an extra few millimetres. When the lights changed she took off confidently. This was nice to see because I've been feeling as though I'm playing on the difficult setting because of my height and strength.
So I'm going to think about her when I go for a ride tomorrow morning. I'm planning to get up early (for a Sunday) to get some clearer roads for myself. My last two rides I have dropped the bike. The first time I was doing laps around the neighbourhood. I was stopped at a stop sign, and when I took off to turn right it started tipping and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. Some passers by helped me put it upright because I couldn't pick it up myself. The second time was when I was parking the bike at the end of that same ride. It was pure carelessness; I was pushing the bike and forgot that I need to lean it against my hip to keep control of it. I had to ask Adrian to come downstairs to help me get it up again.
Last Sunday I went out for a ride with my friend Cesár. Well, he rode my bike to a mostly empty train station carpark, following me in the car. We deliberately dropped the bike so he could demonstrate how to pick it up. Unfortunately, he couldn't do it - even though he can right his own bike, which is a good 100 kg heavier than mine. So I still don't know how or if I can pick the bike up alone. While practicing doing tight u-turns I dropped it again, because I stopped while the front wheel wasn't straight.
Right now the only solution seems to be not to drop it, which is a realistic goal but there's a competence gap I need to cross. At this point I would just like to have a ride where I have fun and I don't drop it. That's tomorrow's goal.
This experience has made me reflect on advice. I think I've been given a lot of good advice since starting on all this, and it's usually consistent between people. But I think that there are some things specific to being short and not strong, that mean I might have done some things differently. Primarily, to choose a smaller bike to start with just to get the basic skills up. By smaller, I mean seat height (to get more comfortable on it) and weight (to make picking up the bike possible). I don't know if there was a better choice of bike available to me - maybe a postie bike? - but I think the common advice that it's better to get a slightly more powerful bike doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. Especially those who are a bit lacking in the bravery department.
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!