Private Thoughts Made Public

A recent comment on this very blog has given me lots of food for thought over the weekend. Certainly the climate isn’t going to put me off getting a motorbike, although the costs involved might! To be honest, I’ve often thought about riding a bike, although I’ve never done anything about it. I’ve never really been a mad bike fanatic, but maybe the older I get the more I think that it might provide an adrenaline rush, that it might actually be a lot of fun. Forget the idea about saving money on fuel, because by the time I’ve got myself trained up, bought a bike, bought all the gear and so on I’ll be spending at least as much as I would on getting the car converted to LPG. But getting a bike is oh, so much more fun! I’ve always thought that buying a bike was the sort of thing “other people” did, I was always far too sensible and responsible to go down that route. But I’ve been thinking about it over the weekend and come to the realisation that, hey, sensible and responsible people ride bikes as well, so why should I deny myself all the fun? Fuck it, I’m going to express myself, and if that means surprising (or even shocking) a few people then so be it. I’m fed up of being Mr Boring.
Step 1 in becoming Mr Less Boring involved speaking to my brother, who has ridden a bike on and off for about 20 years now, and asked his advice. We discussed my options:
1. buy a 125cc bike and ride it with L plates in perpetuity. The only problem with this is that I can’t take it on the motorway, and a large part of my journey to work is on the motorway.
2. Pass my CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) and ride a 125cc bike without L plates. However I would soon outgrow the 125 and would want to get myself a bigger bike, and that would mean extra expense. It would be better if I could get the bigger bike straight away, which leads me to….
3. Take a Direct Access course. This is for riders over 21 and combines the CBT with training on a bigger bike. After I pass a direct access course I would be qualified to ride any bike straight away.
(The laws regarding engine sizes etc are all designed to prevent teenagers getting bigger bikes until either they are old enough to handle them or they have had enough road experience to handle a more powerful bike)
My brother also took me out on the back of his CBR1000. This, I must say, was an exhilirating experience. It was only the second or third time I’d ever been on a bike and I was much calmer this time round than the last time (which was also riding pillion on my brother’s bike but was at least 15 years ago). I say I was calmer this time, however I won’t tell you what thoughts went through my head when he decided to show me how fast it can accellerate!
I’ve not been put off at all, in fact I’m getting more turned on to the idea of getting a cruiser and, well, cruising (for want of a better word) along the country’s highways and byways.
My boss would have other ideas about that. After being away from the office last week he’s decided he can’t survive without me, so I suggested the only way he can stop me from getting a bike is to get me a pay rise so I can afford to put fuel in the car instead!