In the summer of 1999, my good friend Stef allowed me to ride his then brand new Yamaha R6. It was the first time I rode a super-sport bike, and I loved it from the first second I sat on it. Unfortunately, I dropped it a few seconds later, causing $1700 damage, but that’s another story.
Two summers later, while living and working with my brother in Boston, MA, my car lease was coming to an end. Mike already had two cars, so there wasn’t much of a point to of getting another. Stef came down to visit for a long weekend, and it was then he finally convinced me to buy a motorcycle of my own. Not only did he help me pick a suitable first bike (a Suzuki Katana 750), along with all the necessary gear, but he also negotiated a decent price. Of course, once the sale was finalized, Stef pointed at me and laughed, claiming any bike without an “R” in the name isn’t really a bike at all. Thanks dude!
In 2006, I sold the Katana and picked up a 2005 Honda VFR, and continued to ride on numerous occasions. Some of the longer trips include one 5,500km trip in the Maritimes and another 2,500km in Eastern US.
To me, riding provides a sense of freedom, of exploration and a means to impress the ladies. Seriously. On one hand, it’s great to grab the bike for a hour or day long cruise, traveling down a country road with the visor up, deeply breathing the fresh air. Not much beats the thrill of accelerating around a tight curve, or listening to the wind whistling across the helmet. On the other hand, not much makes a women drool more than stepping off the bike in full leather gear, offering them a spare helmet.
Stef told me he once had stopped at a red light, and a woman and her perhaps six year old girl crossed the street in front of him. The little girl beamed as she crossed, and at one point, grinned and said, “Hello, Mr. Motorcycle Man”. Women of all ages love bikes, and I have to admit that having a woman’s arms tightly wrapped around my waist, holding on with a slight fear and excitement, is one of the greatest feelings of all time.