I’ve Been Bitten by the Motorcycle Bug!

Oh my gosh! I’ve been bitten by the motorcycle bug. I learned to ride today and spent five hours on a cycle … in the rain!

The class was through a local technical college and put on my the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. There were eleven of us and most were first time riders. The two instructors did a fantastic job of taking us from no experience or knowledge to being able to shift up to third gear and stop quickly.

There were twelve different motorcycles available to ride. From a small Suzuki GZ 250 to a taller cycle like the Yamaha TW 200. I choose the Yamaha. Being 5’9″ I needed a bit more height than the smaller Suzuki offered. I was comfortable on this bike, except my wet leather gloves would get stuck on the throttle if I wasn’t careful!

This is similar to the cycle I rode today a Yamaha TW 200.

We went through several different training exercises. One of my favorites was the weaving around the cones in a straight line! It was just plain fun. Riding in formation around a large track shifting up to third and back to second was fun too. In the end the instructors said our class did a great job for the first day.

Because of the rain, the pouring rain, I wore a rain suit that still left me a bit soaked and very cold. Some of my younger male classmates showed up looking cool in their wind breakers and jeans, but left sopping wet! No time for fashion today. I even went without lipstick, something I hardly do. In the end the rain was not a problem and has given me the confidence that I could handle it if it happens in the future.

It will be hard to sleep tonight knowing that tomorrow I’ll be learning the skills that I will be tested on for my motorcycle endorsement. Wish me luck! I’m hoping to pass my basic skills test and get the motorcycle endorsement on my driver’s license.