"Everyone dies. Few people ever live." - William Wallace
"Everyone dies. Few people ever live." - William Wallace
Sometimes deciding on riding is not as easy as it seems. I have no idea if most riders get into motorcycling just as easy as putting a new shoe, but to me when the call of the wild came I know I wasn't ready for it. It took me a lot of thinking to finally decide to buy a motorcycle. For one, the biggest and most important factor was safety. I was afraid that riding on two wheels on highways and city streets jam packed with cars would be akin to commiting suicide. I was afraid that oil, gravel or manhole covers would be those itsy bitsy things that could take a bike down on the blink of an eye. There was also the factor of the weather(it sucks to ride in the rain :)), and we can't carry a lot of stuff on the bike either. On the other hand, what did motorcycling had to offer me? What make hundreds of people sit on top of a 100hp machine and just ride away into the horizon? There is no rational explanation for this phenomenon, except that it's FUN! The wind blowing around you, the smells, the sounds. To experience what surrounds you is the true core of a motorcycle rider. And once you get used to it, it's awfully hard to go back to driving in the "cages".
I started riding around August 97 after careful consideration of the
above mentioned factors. I think in the end I just said to myself "to hell with
it!" and decided to go for it. Buying a bike when you have no idea what they are
besides what you see on the streets is a hard thing. I had to browse the net, read
magazines and talk to people until I had a vague idea of what motorcycling was all about.
And I was running on a short budget, so I had to make every penny count. I finally settled
for a salvaged '91 Kawasaki EX500... It was light, nimble and with enough power to let me
learn and practise street riding without having my butt dragged on the hot tarmac. I
survived. I rode it for about 3 months, with some mishaps happening along the way, until I
told myself I had conquered the beast. I got rid of it and decided to buy a new, more
powerful, road carving ride. That was my...
This is my current
ride, a beautiful all black 1994 Kawasaki ZX6-E. It's fast, sleek and powerful and good
for those nasty days when everything goes wrong. Just hop on this bike and if the
weather's nice, I'll ride into the sunset. I've been known to miss my exits on the
highway..bummer! :D
It is much to my chagrin that riding this new bike was akin to starting motorcycling all over again. In the space of two weeks I had dropped it on the ground 3 times already, with little damage to either me or the bike. We remain faithful companions so far, she taking me wherever I want to go. Sometimes when it's raining, I'll let her stay under the covers for the day and I'll use my o'le '85 Honda Accord which unfortunately can't pull 65mph uphill even if my life depended on it :)
If you want to know more about motorcycles check out Motorcycle Online.
To check a great page on the Racing cousin of my bike, go to The Unofficial ZX6R website.
And if you're a fellow rider, you can always go to this page for Tips and Techniques on
how to ride safe.
Do you think motorcycles are only for guys with an attitude?:D
Then to dispell your creeds, click here!
If you're rich and just don't know what to do with your money, here's something you can
offer me as a gift! :)
For those interested to know what's inside my bike, here are some Specifications:
Manufacturer: Kawasaki Model: 1997 ZX-6 E Price: $7,499 Engine: Four stroke, DOHC, liquid-cooled, 16 valve inline four Bore and Stroke: 64 by 46.6mm Displacement: 599cc Carburetion: Four Keihin CVKD36 Transmission: 6-speed Measured Horsepower: 87.5 hp Wheelbase: 56.3 inches Seat Height: 30.7 inches Fuel Capacity: 4.8 gal Claimed Dry Weight: 430 lbs Max. Speed: 145mph
