Yes, my title is a big tease, but I couldn’t resist. The title came to me as we cruised up a long straightaway on this cold day. For those who don’t know motorcycles, a bike like my Ducati Scrambler is what is known as a naked bike. The term refers to the lack of wind protection provided by fairings and windscreens. But it wasn’t too bad a ride on this 37 degree day; we had full sunshine, no clouds, and little wind except what we generated zipping along on the bikes.
Of course I was well layered. I had on seven layers of shirts including the Alpinestars jacket, two pairs of leggings under my jeans, and added the protection of my beautiful new Schott’s leather jacket to keep me warm and comfortable. The only part of me that got chilled were my hands and this was because my new Rev’It gloves would not go on. They have a piece that cinches the glove around the wrist once it’s on; however, this piece is affixed to the Velcro adjustable strap and it was tightening up as I was struggling to put the gloves on. I finally gave up and wore the classic leather gauntlets that are almost as old as I am. These were fine on my short jaunts through the neighborhood, but on our longer cruise, the wind got to me. When we took our little break on the gravel lot, I held my hands down by my engine to warm them up.
As for my riding practice, things went really well. I worked on smoothing out my shifting and accelerating on the Scrambler, my U-turns, and my stops—both fast and “normal.” And I had a blast. I even managed to find neutral all five times I tried for it, so I am making great progress on learning my new bike. One thing I noticed on the Ducati different from my G310 is the seat. On the BMW I felt “sat” in the seat meaning I was down and not moving without some effort. In contrast on the Ducati, I feel a little more slippage. What I learned from this was that I needed to grip the bike more firmly with my thighs. Because this bike is a Scrambler and made to go off-road, there needs to be more flexibility in the seating position as off-road trails require more adjustments on the motorcycle. It makes me more excited for when we finally do find some dirt roads to ride down.
For now I can enjoy knowing I have entered an even rarer group of people—those who ride motorcycles in all seasons. I’m happy I had such a good ride today; it was hard enough missing one week of riding; I can’t imagine going months before my next ride. Luckily, I don’t have to wait.
“The older I get the more I understand, How important it is to live a life most people don’t understand.”
https://motoringjunction.com/featured/top-32-motorcycle-riding-quotes/
Flutterby Biker 