My goal: racing a motorcycle. After having spent a portion of a day in borrowed gear on a borrowed bike, I was more than convinced that I was ready to dive in. Full steam ahead! Knowing I needed to get street endorsed, I signed up for the local MSF class – the only opening was nearly four months away so I had to be patient. But I had enough to keep my busy in the meantime: I’m a racer wanna be without gear or a bike!
I had an “in”: Louie. He’d been a road racer for ten years at that point and rode his first motorcycle when he was 10 (straight into a wall – but that’s HIS story, not mine). Besides being a road racer, he was a professional mechanic and someone people turned to for their motorcycle repair. At the time, he had been working on a friend’s bike. I’d seen the bike in his garage: mismatched, older, rashed up from being thrown down the track. It was an eye sore. An embarrassment. But all that changed in an instant! My name was on the title! Louie bartered his time for the bike. I was no longer bike-less and another step closer to racing!
The way I saw the bike now was certainly not the same way other people saw it. Kind of like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree: Where other people saw scuffs and scrapes, I saw personality. It ran rough but I saw an opportunity to tear it apart, learn about the machine between my legs, and fix it. It needed street parts put back on but the parts were readily available. I was on cloud nine! She was ugly but she was MINE!
MSF was still a ways off so I concentrated on the gear. This is where my dream felt in jeopardy. So far, everything had gone smoothly – falling right in line with what I wanted and needed. I felt blessed and thankful. Now I faced something seemingly impossible. My first hurdle: Money. You see, the gear I needed – at bare minimum – was going to cost six weeks worth of my salary at the time! And while Louie was in my life emotionally, I was still solo financially. So I had to choose: food or gear. But wait!! There was a backup plan – Ebay to the rescue!
I compromised a little here and there – bought textile instead of leather, the boots were well used but still lots of life left, the pants on clearance (I didn’t mind being seen in last year’s fashion for a fraction of the cost! But they were a slimming black – they had to be, they came stock with 2” of padding in areas I was already padded!), and the gloves were new but discontinued. Final tally – Jacket $100, pants $75, boots $25, and gloves $20 (leaving money in the budget for food). The dream was alive again!!
Lastly was a helmet. No skimping there. There’s an adage about chicks digging scars. Head injuries are a whole other bowl of pudding. I tried on about 10 or so. They all felt somewhat foreign and different – some were downright painful. The one that fit the best (for me) was the Medium Arai Signet. I nearly fainted at the price. I tried on many other helmets but agreed that the Signet was the best fit. The equivalent of 2 car payments later, it was mine. I wore it home in the car. Really! Ask my kids – they’re STILL embarrassed!
I had enough to start now – gear, a bike, and a good helmet. None of it was to be envied but I felt on top of the world. And there was still time to practice some basic skills before the MSF class.
Geared up, riding my “Charlie Brown” bike, I was an eyesore: gear didn’t match, but it was safe, bike wasn’t anything shiny or special but it worked! I spent a little time riding around the neighborhood. At one point in during my maiden voyage, I glanced behind me to find Louie had put aside his garage tinkering to keep an eye on me. I was touched – and he was proud, I was a natural he proclaimed!
I was just getting used to the bike, the shifting, stopping and starting. Learning to balance the bike on my inner thigh – while I’m not short, I’m politely average, I have very short legs – my inseam is a whopping 26.25” Reaching the ground on a motorcycle was a delicate balancing act. But with practice, I was determined to master it. As one person put it, “all you really have to do is reach the pegs, right?” My technique to this day is to get one foot down and balance the weight of the bike on the inner thigh on that solidly planted leg. It works most of the time…except for the dreaded “broken foot incident….” But that’s a story for another time!
But First: the MSF class!
You're funny and I love reading your entries. Keep 'em coming. :)
Posted by: Rico | June 19, 2006 at 10:01 PM
I think we've all had a Charlie Brown bike in our past... perfectly said! Love it!
Posted by: Moira | June 20, 2006 at 07:42 AM
I do not want to race, but I identify with the desire to ride and become endorsed. Practicing and waiting for my turn to take the MSF clas only fueled my passion to ride. Can't wait to read the next blog!!!
Posted by: Kristie | August 10, 2006 at 10:15 PM