DarkLord
18th December 2008, 16:09
Well I can't believe the time has gone so quickly. It seems only a few months ago that I was arranging the finance for my first bike and trying to book in my basic handling skills test.
What a year it has been and has my life changed as a result of learning to ride. I barely knew the first thing about bikes, engines etc when I first started. Granted, I still have a long way to go learning about this sort of stuff but I've come a long way in a short time.
The learning process was a hard and rather silly one for me at times as I made a few decisions I wouldn't recommend to new riders. First - I was riding on the road before I had my license - not a wise move at all!! Second - I probably bit off way more than I could chew with some of the early rides I went on - I remember going out to Muriwai (spelling??) beach before I'd even done my BHS on my big red Hyosung and dropping the bike once I got there - ending up on the wrong side of the road trying to go around a corner at one point and being by far the slowest thing on two wheels on the ride! I also remember passing a car over a double yellow - a move which my flatmate GreenBandit scolded me for and continued to scold me for during the next few months! Fair enough too as it was a very deserved scolding! I got frustrated with riding many times and after a few drops the bike remained under a bike cover outside my house for at least a month or so as I basically swore off riding until I got my BHS - a wise move.
Once I got my BHS and Learners I began commuting back and forth to work and finally the realisation of the true freedom and independence that owning a motorcycle brings as I began to develop my skills and confidence. I began to go out on weekend rides and actually enjoy myself as opposed to being totally paranoid and shaky with every move in the saddle. Finally I discovered the art of leaning off the bike into corners and before I knew it my Hyosung had no chicken strips on it at all and I began outstripping bigger bikes on weekend rides. Sure enough my ego began to inflate and get in the way.
Pride comes before the fall, and I certainly learned that the hard way back in May as I stupidly attempted a trip to Wellington with not nearly enough sleep, an MP3 player going too loudly for me to hear what was going on around me and no other riders. I crashed half way and not only wrote my bike off but damaged a car in the process. The poor bugger knew nothing about it - he was just coming the other way and this red bike flew into the front of his car on its side. Fortunately I was uninjured but that was a very sobering experience.
I got a new bike (a yellow Hyosung this time) and struggled to get the thing insured and up to spec due to the financial debt caused by the crash. People asked me if I wanted to get a car but I just couldn't - I love riding too much! I really struggled financially through this period as in hindsight I probably bought the bike too soon after the accident and it needed work done (new tyres, new brake pads, warranty, registration plus I needed to go sit my Restricted) but after months of living on 2 minute noodles I was finally able to pull through and get back into a good place financially plus with the bike in good shape.
It's been a helluva year, very hard in places but also very rewarding. I've learned so much from this site and also got a lot of good practical riding experience through some really good riding buddies - YamahaR64Life, GreenBandit, Gubb and Toto being the main ones. Thanks for everything guys - especially Gubb for the continual use of his garage and for having the same bike as me so we could compare them if one had a problem!
I've done so many K's in the blistering heat and the thundering rain, dodged my fair share of animals on the road, dodged pot holes and managed to avoid all kinds of things that have magically appeared on the road (trees, bits of wood, rocks, plastic bags, bits of cardboard, big birds, cars etc etc etc......) killed about a million bugs (been hit in the face by a few too when riding with the visor up - watch those huhu beetles, they are big bastards!) and I've managed to really explore NZ for the first time, many parts I have never seen before and probably wouldn't have enjoyed as much if it wasn't for being on two wheels. I've made and built on some great friendships, had some insane adventures (some good, some bad) and been in some fantastic photos.
So all in all, though it has been very hard at times (mainly my own fault) I am thrilled with the outcome of the past year and I feel like a totally different person as a result of learning to ride. According to YR64L I'm officially not a n00b anymore and considering how that dude rides, that is high praise indeed! It's been a crazy adventure, with some big highs and some deep lows but it's a journey I am so very glad I have begun.
So thanks to everyone who has been a part of this journey with me - everyone on KB who has helped with advice and also for helping me feel so welcome into the biking community. You guys are awesome. I'm looking forward to getting my full early next year and for many awesome rides to come, and I look forward to seeing you all out there. Also special thanks goes to the good people of the Christian Motorcycle Association for being so good to me and helping me organise not only my first bike but my second as well.
Ride safe everybody.
Cheers and beers!
- Graham.
What a year it has been and has my life changed as a result of learning to ride. I barely knew the first thing about bikes, engines etc when I first started. Granted, I still have a long way to go learning about this sort of stuff but I've come a long way in a short time.
The learning process was a hard and rather silly one for me at times as I made a few decisions I wouldn't recommend to new riders. First - I was riding on the road before I had my license - not a wise move at all!! Second - I probably bit off way more than I could chew with some of the early rides I went on - I remember going out to Muriwai (spelling??) beach before I'd even done my BHS on my big red Hyosung and dropping the bike once I got there - ending up on the wrong side of the road trying to go around a corner at one point and being by far the slowest thing on two wheels on the ride! I also remember passing a car over a double yellow - a move which my flatmate GreenBandit scolded me for and continued to scold me for during the next few months! Fair enough too as it was a very deserved scolding! I got frustrated with riding many times and after a few drops the bike remained under a bike cover outside my house for at least a month or so as I basically swore off riding until I got my BHS - a wise move.
Once I got my BHS and Learners I began commuting back and forth to work and finally the realisation of the true freedom and independence that owning a motorcycle brings as I began to develop my skills and confidence. I began to go out on weekend rides and actually enjoy myself as opposed to being totally paranoid and shaky with every move in the saddle. Finally I discovered the art of leaning off the bike into corners and before I knew it my Hyosung had no chicken strips on it at all and I began outstripping bigger bikes on weekend rides. Sure enough my ego began to inflate and get in the way.
Pride comes before the fall, and I certainly learned that the hard way back in May as I stupidly attempted a trip to Wellington with not nearly enough sleep, an MP3 player going too loudly for me to hear what was going on around me and no other riders. I crashed half way and not only wrote my bike off but damaged a car in the process. The poor bugger knew nothing about it - he was just coming the other way and this red bike flew into the front of his car on its side. Fortunately I was uninjured but that was a very sobering experience.
I got a new bike (a yellow Hyosung this time) and struggled to get the thing insured and up to spec due to the financial debt caused by the crash. People asked me if I wanted to get a car but I just couldn't - I love riding too much! I really struggled financially through this period as in hindsight I probably bought the bike too soon after the accident and it needed work done (new tyres, new brake pads, warranty, registration plus I needed to go sit my Restricted) but after months of living on 2 minute noodles I was finally able to pull through and get back into a good place financially plus with the bike in good shape.
It's been a helluva year, very hard in places but also very rewarding. I've learned so much from this site and also got a lot of good practical riding experience through some really good riding buddies - YamahaR64Life, GreenBandit, Gubb and Toto being the main ones. Thanks for everything guys - especially Gubb for the continual use of his garage and for having the same bike as me so we could compare them if one had a problem!
I've done so many K's in the blistering heat and the thundering rain, dodged my fair share of animals on the road, dodged pot holes and managed to avoid all kinds of things that have magically appeared on the road (trees, bits of wood, rocks, plastic bags, bits of cardboard, big birds, cars etc etc etc......) killed about a million bugs (been hit in the face by a few too when riding with the visor up - watch those huhu beetles, they are big bastards!) and I've managed to really explore NZ for the first time, many parts I have never seen before and probably wouldn't have enjoyed as much if it wasn't for being on two wheels. I've made and built on some great friendships, had some insane adventures (some good, some bad) and been in some fantastic photos.
So all in all, though it has been very hard at times (mainly my own fault) I am thrilled with the outcome of the past year and I feel like a totally different person as a result of learning to ride. According to YR64L I'm officially not a n00b anymore and considering how that dude rides, that is high praise indeed! It's been a crazy adventure, with some big highs and some deep lows but it's a journey I am so very glad I have begun.
So thanks to everyone who has been a part of this journey with me - everyone on KB who has helped with advice and also for helping me feel so welcome into the biking community. You guys are awesome. I'm looking forward to getting my full early next year and for many awesome rides to come, and I look forward to seeing you all out there. Also special thanks goes to the good people of the Christian Motorcycle Association for being so good to me and helping me organise not only my first bike but my second as well.
Ride safe everybody.
Cheers and beers!
- Graham.