1/20/2007
On a Sunday morning it didn't totally clear up but we rode to church on our motorcycles anyway. There was a bit of a mist, but tolerable. I had prayed for sunshine before church. While pastor was doing his sermon about 1/2 an hour before church was over we noticed in one window that the sun was starting to shine outside. We were excited. People were excited to see us at church. LOL there was one guy who seemed like he didn't recognize us. He passed us in the parking lot and stopped briefly to say "It was nice to see you at church, Come again". I just responded, "Yes". We've been attending there for over 2 yrs now. Oh well.
We went on a group ride after church. I was doing really good, I thought. We were on our way to meet the group after church. We met at the mall in Federal Way.
We were all going forward so we could get out on the road. I was the last one. I went to go around a turn and I dropped my bike on my foot. I smashed my right pinky toe a bit, nothing major. The bike has very minor scratches in a couple spots. The tilt sensor was triggered and cut the engine off. Immediately the other seven bikes stopped. My husband, Paul, and one other guy sat my bike back up. Paul, managed the situation and moved the bike out of the driveway to a parking spot. He then turned the key switch off to reset the bike computer. He started it and made a loop in the parking lot to make sure the bike had no damage. Then he pulled it up where I could hop back on and he was like "don't do that again, you scared the crap out of me, please do not hit anyone." [he told me that twice, LOL] I didn't plan on hitting anyone. I'm sure I scared the crap out of everyone. I was just glad I didn't do any damage or hit anyone. I was inches away from the back bumper of an SUV.
We'd been riding for hours without stopping. We then stopped so others could take a potty break. Everyone was coming and asking me if I was ok and if the bike was ok... blah blah blah.... One guy said I was braver than him that he wouldn't have been able to continue the ride. I just said "ah, I'm ok. I could probably die and still be ok". He looked at me weird and walked away. I've been told many times that I'm *weird*.
Getting to see & take in God's wonders of nature was the most precious thing during the ride. I got to feel the warmth of the sun on me. I got to see the snow capped mountain tops as we passed them. I partook in the curves of the road and felt it in my body. I glanced over at a river momentarily as we passed it. It was a fantastic ride.
The only part I didn't like was that they waited almost to the very end of the ride to make any kind of stop. We stopped and took one potty break. Upon leaving where they took a potty break they decided to go somewhere to eat. We went to a place that was in the same city we made our first stop in that was probably like 3-4 miles away. The neat part about this little hole in the wall place is that it used to be an automobile service station converted into a Mexican restaurant. It has the original floor the service station used. It is an interesting little Mexican eatery. After everyone ate they were tired and didn't want to continue. I'm sure some still rode a bit afterward and then went home. It was getting colder as the sun was setting.
The sun had been shining and felt good on the black leather I wore. I need to get my special riding glasses. The sun was almost murder in spots. I couldn't see a thing for about 3 seconds at times; and going around curvies you NEED to see.
I did well despite the bright sun and my sore foot. My father, a Gold Wing guy, was the very first person I shared about my very 1st solo group ride. His response was, "beautiful, did you have a good time?" I replied, "It was a beautiful day & the ride was awesome. We rode the curvies".
My foot is working on a bruise. However, I've been taking Arnica Montana. I think the bruise should be gone in a day or so. Instead of being all black it's just red this morning. I'll be alright. It was a blast none-the-less.
I hope the group I rode with reads this and enjoys my little story.
Hey Kimberly! Glad you had such a great ride (even though you hurt your foot -- glad it wasn't worse!)!
ReplyDeleteGod bless you Sister!
Chelle
Update:
ReplyDeleteMisadventures of a biker chic [day 2]
Day 2 of riding. Inter-city with Paul
1/24/2008
I went on another ride with Paul today inter-city.... dang if I didn't dump my bike again.... Is it just me or does most everyone have issues with right turns?
One thing I notice about my VROD is that it doesn't have very much friction zone. It makes me kill it and I have to hit the start button and get back up to speed. I played with the friction zone a bit this afternoon while at lights. This bike is going to take some getting used to.
I told myself repeatedly that I was not going to ride after dark. Well, that didn't happen today. I ended up riding just after dark on the way home. I don't see so well at night. I couldn't tell Paul from any other cars. It all blends in. Once the sun set it got real cold real fast. But, we made it home safely. No real harm done; except my knee from the dump. I banged my knee on the ground (my bum knee at that). If this bike doesn't kill me, it'll make me one tough chic.
I'm trying to get used to the biker's signaling, i.e. when I need to stop for gas or when there's something in the road that's not supposed to be... general warnings. When I was a kid I was basically on my own... nobody to signal or anything.
My next thing is getting a windscreen on my VROD. That would help heaps in my rides.
Ok, that's it for now! Feel free to comment!
I remember being on the back of my dad's bike before I was anywhere near old enough to be on one (my parents divorced when I was three, and I have a distinct memory of my mom being the one putting me behind him on the bike- she wouldn't have done that afterward.) I also remember learning to ride a motorcycle for the first time by myself. (Not counting the dirt bikes I rode as a youngster.) It was a Honda something or other (big like a Goldwing) I tried to make a U-turn on a residential street, and layed it down. I had the darnest time trying to pick it back up! It was sooooo heavy! I was only 14 at the time and might have weighed 110. I called for help, and a neighbor was just about to come help me pick it up , when I got my scrawny butt under it and lifted with all my might, and got it up all by myself!! Turns out, I severed the cable for the gears, so I couldn't get it out of first gear. When I tried, I effectively "popped the clutch" and ended up killing it about 3 times before I found out what I had done. I drove it the rest of the way back home in first gear, and apologize forever to the owner of the bike. He forgave me, and was very nice about it. It serves him right, really, letting a 14 year old girl ride his motorcycle without anyone else, away from his view.
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