I don't know if knowing you're biting off more than you can chew helps you masticate it any better, but I decided to at least attempt to ride my new motorcycle home from the dealership yesterday -- while also taking along a backup/experienced rider, a local motorcycle cop who's also the resource officer at the school where I teach.
Anyway, after a quarter-mile test ride to assure myself I could even hold the 600+-pound machine up, I took off in c. 40-degree weather to traverse the 24 miles home. The journey was not without some early frustration. After careening out of the dealership lot (right turns still are not my best friend), across the street and through an adjoining lawn before getting my bearings, I missed the first light because I stalled the bike twice. It happened again at the second light, and I got off and motioned for Officer Brad to take over. He pushed it to an adjoining parking lot, and took it around the lot a couple of times.
Now, this particular motorcycle is essentially a 10-speed -- 1-5 in both a low and high range. Somehow, I'd managed to nudge it into high range, making 'takeoff' a much more delicate operation. Brad coaxed me around the lot a couple of times, proffered a couple of pointers, and cajoled me into trying again. This time, I got through the light and out of town without further stoppages. Thus, I had c. 20 miles of lightly-traveled highway before getting near home.
Finally, I got a chance to just relax and ride, without much panic about the newness of the experience. I'd dressed with plenty of layers to keep out the chill, mostly -- only the wind over the windshield, but under the shield of my 3/4-helmet caused any discomfort, which was manageable. So, I just practiced taking the appropriate line into and out of curves, looking to where I wanted the bike to go, and gently getting up to highway speed, trusting Brad to act as my rear guard in my car.
Coming back into town as I approached home, I suffered the bad luck of having a slow-starting car at an intersection in front of me, and I stalled the bike again when I didn't get down-shifted fast enough while stopping more quickly than I would have preferred. I wound up with a right-turn lane to cross to get back into a high-traffic, through lane, so just turned right instead and headed toward my school, adding a couple of 90-degree turns and a pair of 4-way stops to my itinerary. Still, getting onto quieter side streets reduced some stress. I DID have to negotiate one more major intersection prior to my neighborhood, but the little experience I'd accumulated just on this journey finally got me through without further mishap. I was reasonably calm as I dismounted in the carport with Brad pulling in behind me. I'd survived, anyhow.
Doesn't look like the weather is going to allow me to get back on the street for a few days, but I think the county park just a half-mile down the street will be getting plenty of motorcycle traffic during the next few weeks. It has light traffic, low speeds, plenty of curves and hills, and several parking lots -- near perfect for low-stress learning. In any case, the bike is home, so now it's up to me to keep it from becoming a white elephant.
