“I ride a motorcycle.” Funny, three years ago I would’ve
never expected that to come out of my mouth. Although, I’m still young enough
to not be surprised by what comes out of there. No, I can’t say straddling a
two wheeled rocket ship was something that I envisioned in my future. And
owning a Ninja 250 definitely isn’t helping that high speed future.
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| My First Street Bike: 2009 Ninja 250 |
I stumbled into my motorcycling passion. Three years ago I
was in a friend’s garage waiting to go on a bicycle ride. There was a sporty
looking bike lurking in the back. I’m sure I said something to the lines of,
“Cool bike, how fast does it go?” That’s standard fair when you’re 20 years old
right? The most important question is always, “How fast does it go?” The
response was instant, “Probably 170 miles per hour. Want to sit on it?” I
hopped up on the bike to be greeted by a thin foam layer for a seat. My friend
turned the key and the whining of the fuel pump activated while the dash gauges
put on a brief light show. I noticed the rev counter climbed to 17,500 RPMs. Before
I could make a comment about my disbelief of an engine revving that high, the
bike began to choke to life.
There was a sharp bark that settled into an angry drone. A
car alarm could be heard off in the distance after a few stabs of the throttle.
The bike was shut off but the lingering smell of unburned race fuel was the
icing on the whole experience. I was awestruck. Coming from a guy who loves
cars and motorsports how did I let this two wheeled Formula 1 wannabe go
unnoticed for so long? That marked the beginning of my downward spiral into the
motorcycling world.
The interest grew as I read magazines, books, and watched
Youtube clips of motorcycles flexing their performance abilities. Being friends
with an ex AMA pro road racer certainly helped. The final realization that I
absolutely needed a motorcycle in my life was when I watched a video of a sport
bike simply walk away from a Lamborghini. For the price of a 10 year old Honda
Civic, I can get 45 mpg and be able to embarrass Corvettes. Where do I sign up?
I consider myself very new to the motorcycle community. I’m
very much in the honeymoon phase with this hobby. There are many different
social circles, motorcycle related nuances and taboo, and types of riding that
I’m learning about. My perspectives are constantly changing. This dynamic
nature provides me with all kinds of cool and unique stories.
I decided that I want to blog about my experiences and
perspectives. A young, broke moto fanatic that wants to try it all. My hope is
that other people who don't or cant ride can live vicariously through my adventures on two
wheels and that fellow riders can laugh at my rookie mistakes and share their
opinions.
-Cycle Cam
Motorcyclists, how did you find your “calling?” Let me know
in the comments.
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