Motorcycle Mama

Well, I am officially a motorcylcle rider. My husband and I have been talking about getting me a motorcycle for awhile, but my fears and hesitation got the best of me. When he found a 1972 Honda 350 for $250, it was a deal he couldn't pass up. With a little cleaning and minor maintenance, it was road ready. The color is candy apple green, which I became quite attached to.

The first ride was in a store parking lot. To my suprise, I didn't tip it over. All though I came close to running into the building a few times, I stayed steady on the bike which was pretty amazing for me knowing that a few summers ago I tipped over on my bicycle (more than once) at a stand still! It took me awhile to understand the concept of the whole shifting part of it. On my ride I think I went from first gear to third, and I think I tried to shift without holding the clutch in...but I'm not really sure. I only killed it a few times, but never fell off. That was a true accomplishment.

The second trip was a spin around the block. My husband followed me on his bicycle. Really, I wasn't going to go faster than 20 mph. When I lost sight of him, I remembered to pull the clutch in and break. My hands were shaking, and I began to lose my nerve. There were people walking their dogs or sitting on their front lawn gawking at a female cyclist. If I could only get past them with out tipping over or knocking them down. We made it home. The feeling of being the person guiding this bike down the road was a thrill. After a few days, I was anxious to get back on her. I was able to get her up to almost 30 mph, and to me it felt much faster. I conquered my fears and that feels so good.

To see the gleam in my husbands eye, did it for me. Needless to say he was pretty proud of his motorcycle mama.

End of Blog Quote: "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt