Today, I learned the basics of riding a motorcycle. My buddy Erik took me out in a field and put me on his 250 Honda dual-sport. It's such a forgiving bike that it managed to compensate for all but my worst starts, and once I was going, there was no problem keeping it steady, even when I double-shifted from first to third (something I need to work on, it seems).
I rode it back and forth for an hour or two, getting as high as third gear on the little dirt trail. I only managed to scare Erik once as I came around a turn slightly hot, fishtailing just the littlest bit. I thought it was good fun, of course, but he didn't want to explain to Heather if I ended up on my face.
I would still do the multi-day training course before I actually got the "M" added to my license and started riding on the streets, but man was it fun!
The Wife, afterward, asked "Was it fun, feeling the wind through your hair?" My answer: "Well, I had a helmet on..." "Good answer!" Tricky woman. ;)
So here's the kicker: I'm adopting Erik's basket case project bike.
Here's the first load of parts:
