Well I’ve been riding for almost a solid year now. I’ve had some very scary experiences and some very enjoyable ones. Well let’s start at the beginning when I got my new `06 Kawasaki Ninja 650 R. I really wasn’t looking to buy that one but the dealer actually convinced me, and since the bike I wanted was not in stock I took it. It did look nice and seemed like a very good buy at a very good price, and I was right! I got home that day after agreeing to purchase the bike and went straight online to research, research, research. Nothing but good to great reviews were done on this bike, great for beginners good for experienced riders looking for a second bike or a bike to ride around town with. I was over joyed with my choice, I guess the motorcycle Gods were looking out for me.
This was technically my second bike, the first one was a `85 Yamaha FZR 600 Genesis. This was the first real super sport bike of its time. Apart from the color, which was purple and black tiger stripes I enjoyed it very much. I think with that bike I spent more time working on it that actually riding it. First day I got it, I dropped it unloading it from the rental truck, cracked fairings and all. I did not have a license so riding it was confined to the back streets, where I dropped it a second time at a stop sign. I never rode a motorcycle before and the sheer weight of it totally surprised me. These this weighed at minimum three hundred pounds and up. I was a bit weak back then in 2004 but I learned quickly. I learned all the wrong things. I think I had that bike for about six months until I sold it to go on another adventure involving a female, but that’s another story for another time.
So with the first bike I learned to basic of keeping it up without dropping it or falling, and how to do some minor repairs. This new bike I wanted so I could avoid doing repairs, and that lasted about two months. While riding in a rush to work, I tried to pass a SUV at a green light because it seemed as if they were preoccupied with whatever and I was bumped. Not hit, bumped by this three ton vehicle and I crashed. I got up with very minor scratches and cuts and the SUV drove off like nothing happened, no help no nothing. I quickly, picked up the pieces of my crashed bike, rode home with a smashed left side, bent handlebars, and oil leaking like crazy. I’m glad I could make it home! I said to myself, “Damn, something I was trying to avoid, REPAIRS!” Now I had to spend time off the bike not gaining valuable experiences, spend money and time to fix what I had done. I was very upset, but very humbled. I got the fear of the first crash out the way and now I can really concentrate on every thing taught to me at my three-day rider course.
Today’s adventure started with me, not wanting to go to church on this beautiful Sunday.
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