We went to motorcycle school this weekend! This isn't something I ever imagined I would do, but somehow Derek convinced me to sign up with him, so we got up at 6 am (!) on Saturday and Sunday and set off to learn how to ride bikes in the parking lot of City College for 5 hours each day. This is the bike I learned on! Thankfully, we will be doing the majority of our riding on a scooter, which is more my speed (and size).Now we're off to the DMV to get our official M1 licenses. I have so much new terminology in my head after taking this class, including all kinds of crazy acronyms like T-CLOCS and FINE-C, to help remember my "pre-ride checklist" and stuff like that. Not to mention a whole set of new vocabulary pertaining to bikes, like "throttle" and "chassis".
7 comments:
Hey Motorcycle Mama!
Or more accurately: Scooter Sistah!
Congrats to dabodayas for learning a new skill (and passing the grueling motorcycle course!).
'Let's ride'
That's awesome! When are you getting scooters?
You are going to be wearing full-face helmets and gloves *every* time you ride, right? Trust me, it's very very important.
-Scott Johnson
Hi Scott! Yes, we opted for the not-as-cute but more protective full-face helmets. Two of the other terms I learned in motorcycle school were "high side" and "low side". (Hoping not to experience those firsthand.)
The scooter we have is called a Bajaj Chetak, which is an Indian brand that is new but looks kind of like an old Vespa. Do you still ride a motorcycle? We should meet up for next the "Mods vs. Rockers" ride!
Congrats! I just realized that you made this post while I was still out in California for the MotoGP race at Laguna Seca. So many motorcycles and riders it was insane! I still haven't learned to drive by myself yet, so I have to ride bitch, but I love motorcycling. And yes, full gear is very important. Me and my boyfriend got in a very lowspeed accident last summer, but even so it took months for the road rash to heal, and at least a month for me to be able to walk normally.
BTW, do you have an RSS feed set up for this blog? I couldn't find it anywhere.... I usually keep track of all the indie blogs I read through my Livejournal friends list, so I'm always on the lookout for new feeds.
Awesome. Welcome to the 2-wheel club. I've been riding for 15+ years, and there are really only two acronyms you need to remember:
SIPDE (or SIPE): Search, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute. Keeps you actively thinking about what's going to happen next. Prevents checking out mentally.
ATGATT: All The Gear, All The Time. Antidote for the siren song of just throwing on the helmet for a quick trip.
So much to learn! Thanks for the new tips- I love an acronym.
Yes I still ride (especially with these gas prices!) and I'm very much an ATGATT-kinda-guy. Full face helmets, armored jackets & gloves, moto-boots, all the time. I've been saved more than once by my devotion to the ATGATT altar.
I may ride a 'proper' motorbike, but my heart still beats as a mod, as my first ride was a blue 1972 Vespa 125.
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