When I told my parents I would be taking the MSF, their widened eyes and lack of response told me they were nonplussed.  I’m sure they thought I was long past any wild inclinations of youth and, despite my younger brother getting a motorcycle several years ago, never imagined my mid-life crisis would transform me into a biker chick.

            Why do some people choose motorcycles while others steer far away from them?  For me I think it harkens back to my childhood and the thrill of getting bikes at Christmas.  I remember learning to ride a bike at the tender age of four behind our apartment building in Annapolis.  I remember getting a pink “princess” bike one year for Christmas and riding it despite its shameful color and association (I was a proud tomboy growing up).  And I remember getting my “dream” bike, a 10-speed racer in yellow and blue that I rode up until college and adulting took me firmly away from childhood. 

            But why as an adult did I not get a motorcycle?  There were practical reasons such as needing a car to take me to work so I could carry all of the students’ papers and portfolios back and forth between school and home (I was an English teacher before I became a school librarian).  And my money went into another hobby and then even more into my house.  The years passed and I lost touch with the girl who loved riding her bike; living where I do, riding a bike is not too advisable as streets are narrow and cars are too fast.  But I would still check out a motorcycle stopped beside me at a light or cruising by me on the highway.

            Seven years ago, my best friend bought a Honda motorcycle and took herself across the country.  She was dealing with tons of crap and needed the escape.  There was never any suggestion of me getting a bike and joining her.  For one thing my hobby was still eating up most of my extra money.  But I was envious of her as I imagined the freedom on the road and the wondrous sites to be seen.

            Now I find myself not as eager to spend all my money, nor all my time, on that one particular hobby.  I still devote myself to daily training and pursue my own personal excellence.  But I am making time for what is fun.  And let’s face it, riding a motorcycle is FUN!  As a kid there is a thrill in pedaling the bike faster and faster to then cruise along the street.  This same thrill is matched by revving the motorcycle and cruising along the roadways.  Subconsciously, as both the kid and the adult, we are aware of the risks involved in riding, but risk involvement increases the thrill (see skiing, parachuting, rock climbing, zip lining, etc.).

            Interestingly enough, seeking the thrill of riding does not mean seeking the biker look of yesteryear.  James Dean and Steve McQueen might look sexy cool on their motorcycles in jeans, t-shirts, and leather jackets, but today’s serious riders dress for the slide more than the ride—and hope they are overdressed.  Last night we were watching a video of a rider somewhere in Europe on the 2021 BMW R NineT Scrambler, a bike we are considering for my second, uptick bike.  This rider was riding on motorways in busy traffic.  What I found odd was he wasn’t wearing gloves.  One of the coolest things about the popular video motorcycle vloggers is that they are decked out in safety gear, including gloves.  It’s great that the role models out there are showing the proper, careful way to ride.  Yes, every now and then, someone is out on a bike in jeans and a leather jacket, but they always wear gloves.  Well at least they did until we found that particular video.

As for my ride, it was an early start on Saturday, up before 9:00 and out riding before 10:00.  We were hoping to avoid the heat of the day; the forecast was for sunny and 91 degrees.  Summer is arriving fast.

            My goals for today’s ride were to smooth out shifting gears, work on my U-turns, and downshift from third gear to a stop in first gear.  I had one engine stall on my first attempt to shift down to the stop.  I am adjusting myself to the shifter; I don’t always manage to move it into the correct gear.  I believe it is adjustable, so I will need to check into that.  I finally remembered to get the manual from under the seat and bring it home for some reading.

            My turns went well, though I found it easier to turn tightly to the left than the right.  My boyfriend said it might be due to the camber of the parking lot.  But I think it is because my right side is dominant, so I am more comfortable stretching out the right arm on the turns and still feeling in control.  But I will add turning to my right to my list of practices.

            The shifting up to third went well enough that I began working on maintaining a consistent speed on the throttle.  I also realized that a large part of my shifting problem was that I was shifting too soon into second.  Once I established 11-12 mph before shifting, it was much smoother.  I also realized that sometimes as I went to shift and I struggled with the shifter, my speed went low enough to negate the need for shifting.

            The best part of the morning was cruising in third and feeling the cool breeze.  I felt like I was getting a taste of what it will be like when we are out on country roads cruising along, and that I am really excited to begin doing.  I ended my practice feeling really good about my riding.  The bike never felt heavy, I only stalled twice, and I was able to ride for over an hour as my wrists are getting stronger.  Next time I will continue to work on downshifting.  I will add stopping quickly as I didn’t practice that too much this week, and I will work more on my right sided U-turns.  I am beginning to feel ready for the neighborhood roads, which is a small step towards those country roads. 

I own a motorcycle.  That’s not something I would have imagined myself saying 5 years ago, or even 3 years ago.  But I am the happy owner of a 2021 BMW G310 GS in Polar Ice.

            We woke up Saturday and, instead of following our usual routine, my boyfriend asked if I wanted to go look at motorcycles.  I said sure and boom, we were out the door and driving to Adventure BMW in Chesapeake.  It was a pleasant drive on a beautiful, cool Saturday morning.  And we were happy at how easy it was to find the dealership.

            We, of course, were just looking.  Through extensive research, we had narrowed down the choices of what my first motorcycle would be to the Honda CRF 300 L or the BMW G310 GS.  My boyfriend had visited Honda of Norfolk where he could gaze upon the Honda, but it was already sold and there were no others in stock for a test ride. So we were going to look at the G310, leave, discuss our options, make a decision, and proceed from there.

            We were met by Clayton, a super-enthusiastic mechanic for BMW, who led me straight to the G310 Rally.  I mounted the bike and was happy to note that my feet were flat on either side, though the gas tank did put pressure on my inner thighs.  However, when I put my feet up on the pegs, I could envision the comfortable ride.  Alas, as a newbie just completing the MSF, I was not allowed to test ride the bike because I had not yet been to the DMV to get the “M” designation on my license.  Of course, had I not confessed to being a newbie, I’m pretty sure it would have been glaringly obvious had I tried to test ride the bike.  But Clayton is a bike enthusiast, and he suggested I at least listen to the bike.

            We proceeded outside where the bike was started for the first time and purred beautifully.  There is something about the sound of a motorcycle that causes your heart to leap and your blood to quicken, all in anticipation of the adventure to come.  Clayton rode the bike a bit enough to demonstrate the ABS on the grass for us.  Then he introduced us to Rick, the sales manager, who offered my boyfriend, Bill, a test ride.  Bill then asked me if I wanted him to ride it, and I said yes.  Then he asked what I wanted him to pay attention to, and I really appreciate how he wants me to think through how I want the bike to handle.  I asked him to get a feel for the clutch, the suspension, and how it turns, and I felt good about myself for knowing to ask for at least that.

            He took off around the corner into a parking lot and was gone for 5 minutes.  When he returned, he was smiling wide and raving about what a great bike it was.  That was enough for me.  When a man who has ridden motorcycles for 50 years and has owned all different makes and models tells you it’s a great bike, you take him at his word.  So without another thought for the Honda, I said let’s buy it.  And we did.

            In fairness to the Honda CRF 300 L, that bike has also gotten good reviews as a good beginner dual purpose bike.  Of the two, the Honda probably favors the off-roading more than the BMW, though after purchasing the G310, we watched the Dirt Test BMW G310 GS by Motorcycle Adventure Dirtbike TV on Youtube, and saw that the bike would be fine for the off-road plans we have at this time.  So that just made us happier with our purchase.  And the BMW has a more solid feel to it as well as an availability that Honda cannot match.  Now I am ready to practice my new found riding skills first learned last weekend.  No more lazy weekends for me; I have a new aspect of training, and I am super excited to learn how to ride my brand-new motorcycle.  Wish me luck!

Since 1974 when I was a girl of 5, over 8,000,000 people have taken the MSF rider courses, which is an average of about 400,000 annually.  Locally, the courses fill up quickly (of course, full is 12 people), so I can feel a bit rarefied to be included in this club.  I took the course this past weekend having never been on a motorcycle; that’s right, never, not even perched upon the seat.  My first touch of a motorcycle was a 1991 Kawasaki Eliminator—with carburetor–and, to answer the most important question running through everyone’s mind, I did NOT drop it.  Nope, not once.  But since no one in the class dropped their bikes, I should credit the instructors more than any latent skill on my part.

            Working through the course helps one to realize why not a lot of people sign up.  What’s surprising about the course is just how much hard work it is.  Some part of my brain deceived me into thinking it couldn’t be too hard since we never went above 20 mph nor out of second gear.  Slow and steady equals easy, right?  Hah!  From the moment I felt the 350 pounds, I realized that this was going to be hard work.  And it was.  We mounted the bikes and learned the difference between neutral and first gear, and then we unmounted the bikes and pushed them to the parking lot that was our training course.  How much weight do you put on that sled thing at the gym?  Granted the bike has wheels, but it is still heavy and still a workout to push it.  I am glad I started lifting weights three years prior so I had some upper body strength to assist me.  And in case you were wondering, I was one of only 2 women in the class—myself and Tisha.

            Now why was I taking the MSF course?  Have I not lived on this earth for 50+ years perfectly fine never riding a motorcycle?  Couldn’t I go for another 50?  Apparently not.  A few years back I began dating a wonderful man who, among many, many things, rode motorcycles.  Not when I met him, but he had owned motorcycles on and off through the years since he was 13 years old.  Yes, 13 kids because some of us grew up with parents who subscribed to the theory that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.  But anyway, my boyfriend and I talked about motorcycles and I expressed my interest in learning to ride.  So for one of my birthdays, he offered to pay for the MSF course for me.  And, like so much in life, it became “one of these days, we’ll . . . “ and perched itself on the back burner of my life’s stove.

            A few years later, my boyfriend’s was in search of a distraction; he began tuning into motorcycle videos on Youtube.  We began watching together and came across many of the popular channels such as MotoBob, the Missenden Flyer, HerTwoWheels, Revzilla and, my favorite, Itchy Boots.  And we revisited the idea of taking the MSF course together.  I learned that while he had listened to my expressed interest in riding a motorcycle, he wasn’t sure I really meant it.  The MSF course was the touchstone.  Was I a rider or wasn’t I?  My feedback from the MSF would reveal all.  The planets aligned and we managed to get in a class close to home and on a beautiful, still-springtime weekend.

            If you’re like me and have never set derriere on a motorcycle, then I recommend you find a friend, find a dealer, find someone or somewhere to go and get a feel for the bike.  Ideally, sit on a friend’s bike and work on coordinating the clutch, throttle, and the brakes.  I was the “loud” student in class who kept rolling the throttle when I was simply adjusting the handlebars because I had not developed throttle coordination practicing on my beach cruiser (bike).  But I do recommend practicing on your bike.  Your bike can help you learn to look where you want to go especially with turning your head on the U-turns of the dreaded box.  I also practiced wearing my helmet while riding my bike to get a feel for the weight and the impact on my peripheral vision.  So even though I was a motorcycle newbie, because I listened to my boyfriend’s advice, I was able to function fairly well on the motorcycle in class.

            Another pre-class benefit was watching some of the MSF course videos to be found on Youtube.  Of particular benefit to me were the videos uploaded by Blockhead, but with the plethora out there, you’re sure to find something helpful.  I avoided the videos about the mistakes you could make; I was only looking for positive reinforcements.  I did enjoy Yammie Noob’s “7 People You Meet at Your MSF Course” because during the lulls, I played identify the 7 game.  I, of course, was not one of them 

            For the MSF test, our first obstacle was the dreaded box.  I was super stressing about it because I wanted more practice time to determine if I did better in first or second gear.  But it was rubber hit the road time, and no more practice.  I weaved out of the box 3 times but did not put a foot down nor drop the bike, so it cost me some points, but I don’t know how many.  Then we did the quick swerve where, during the practice, I had clipped the delivery van once on each side.  I swerved right and was told to move on, so I figured I did OK.  Next we had to do the fast stop.  Earlier in practice I was overwhelmed by all I had to do—shift down to first and apply both brakes.  It doesn’t sound overwhelming, but when you are just learning how to shift with your foot on a bike where it sticks between gears, panic will set in.  And my brake lights did not work, so the instructors were very carefully watching my right hand and foot.  I told myself to breathe, relax, and trust that it would go smoothly.  It seemed to, though I felt like I was a bit long on the stop.  Finally, the last test, where you turn into a curve and accelerate on the way out to help upright the bike. 

            Slight digression here.  One of the observations my boyfriend made about men on motorcycles versus women on motorcycles is that where women will proceed cautiously at a slow, steady pace, men will freely accelerate.  And I observed over the two days that this was exactly the case.  I and Tisha kept the bikes slow even when speed would have benefited us, whereas the men didn’t hesitate to use speed, sometimes too much.

            So as we had practiced the curve, every time I was exiting the curve, I was met by Skip or Bill, the instructors, lifting both arms to indicate a need to accelerate.  I didn’t like that I was “acting like a typical woman,” and I used that dislike to help push me to do what needed to be done.  When the last rider on the Grom completed the final test and we were standing by our bikes in a large group, I was called over by the instructors.  It was a long walk across that parking lot alone with the thought that they wanted to let me know I had failed and could jump in my car and leave in disgrace (which I couldn’t do because my boyfriend was in the class with me and needed me to drive him home).  They were good, too, as they kept completely straight faces at my trepidatious approach.  They had called me over to welcome me into the motorcycle riding club.  They also had me order everyone to pick up the orange cones, but the big thrill was knowing I had passed and would be able to become a licensed rider!