Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
After six long weeks of being off the road, due to a herniated disc, I'm back on a bike. Wonderful barely describes the feeling. 
Until this last week, my recovery has been slow and boring. Everything I wanted to do was either not permitted, or hurt too bad. Lying on the sofa, watching daytime TV and DVD's soon got old.
Doctor man had said that I could lose the neck brace after four weeks, which allowed me to drive. That felt great. I drove my car each day and savored the freedom of being able to get places independently. I dreamed about the day when I'd be able to ride a bike again, figuring that it was some distance away. Patience is a virtue, right?
But I'm not patient. I do have other virtues, but patience is not one of them. On Saturday, Andy was tidying his garage, and turning over all the bikes. It wouldn't hurt (much) to take my little Ninja around the block, would it? I mean, the bike weighs practically nothing and it all but rides itself. I reasoned that my as yet unused off-road helmet would be light enough for weak neck muscles to hold up for a few minutes.
Ooohhhhh!! The joy of being back on a bike. The Ninja was gentle and forgiving but after about 45-50 mph the wind was pushing my neck around, jarring the healing bones. That was probably not a good thing, so I turned for home. Common sense dictated that taking some pain pills and having a lie down would be the smartest thing to do next.
But I'm not that smart..... and my FJR was out on the street when I got back. Anyone who has ever experienced the sheer joy of riding an FJR will understand that this opportunity could not pass. I traded bikes and immediately my neck felt better. With the bags off, the bigger bike was in top notch form for a zip around town. I was drawn to Pacific Coast Highway and it's cool, ocean breezes. The bike purred with pleasure each time I opened the throttle. I don't usually extend the shield, since I enjoy the feeling of the wind in my face but to protect my neck, I winched up the screen. I was able to ride at any speed that the conditions would tolerate, with little to no discomfort. Besides, I didn't care how much it hurt because I was back on my FJR.
The usual crowd of moron cagers were busily trying to kill me, and each other. My instincts were thankfully still there. The quick roll on that the big bike offers allowed me to escape while they were still plotting their attacks. One driver even APOLOGIZED as he found me riding in the lane he'd just swerved into. I'd pegged this guy, waaaay back as one to watch. Good call.
Now, I was on an adrenaline high. I felt no pain. However, I was aware that Andy was anxiously waiting at home for my return, so I turned for home. Now, it really was time to be a rehab patient again. But...... what's this? another bike warmed up and running? What would it hurt to take the XL250 for a putz around the tract? What a contrast to the FJR. The 1980 model just puttered along gently. I snagged every cul-de-sac in the neighborhood for a U-turn and/or some figure eights. My confidence was building and it felt FANTASTIC.
Time to go home and rest??? NOT!!!! Andy's newest acquisition was out on the driveway. As yet, I hadn't ridden his BMW RTP1100. No time like the present! He kindly moved it onto the street for me, where I had to do some acrobatics to get it off the side stand. It was leaned well over, plus the camber of the road. When I got on board, I could barely reach the right side foot peg, so I had to slide over to touch the ground, then yank the bike in that direction. It worked! Who needs more than a pointed toe on the ground?
The turn signals provided some excitement. BMW have a different set up to any other bike I've ever ridden. The left signal is on the left and the right is on the right. Both are tucked away out of sight. The cancel for both sides is on the right. Not being familiar with the bike, I had to take my eyes off the road for far too long to find the signals. Then, when I tried to cancel the indicator, I rolled on the throttle just like a beginner learning to use the front brake. Practice is obviously needed!
The first intersection was just a teensy bit challenging. I brought the bike to a stop then put my right foot down. The ground wasn't quite where I thought it was going to be. The fraction of a second that it took my toe to contact terra firma seemed awful long. It wasn't a big deal though, because the BMW carries it's weight low down so I felt pretty steady.
The ocean breezes felt just as good on this bike as they did on the FJR. My neck was protected by the windshield. The bike was comfortable and easy to ride but lacked the oomph that I am used to. No complaints though. I was having a blast. Which bike would it be next? Perhaps the green-sticker dirt bikes shouldn't go on the road, but Andy's Star Warrior could do with an airing. Yes, that would be next.
It wasn't to be. My husband is smarter about these things than I am, and he had stowed all the bikes away in the tight formation needed to close the garage door. I was obliged to rest up, and did feel better for doing so.
Today, I had my pick of the bikes for a lunch date. I chose the best one, for a ride to Hollywood to meet some friendly folks for lunch. There were a whole lot of FJR's at Pink's today. Despite the temperature rising to 109 degrees on the way, it was an awesome ride. I had comfort, power, speed plus superb handling. What more can one ask for?
Jill
Until this last week, my recovery has been slow and boring. Everything I wanted to do was either not permitted, or hurt too bad. Lying on the sofa, watching daytime TV and DVD's soon got old.
Doctor man had said that I could lose the neck brace after four weeks, which allowed me to drive. That felt great. I drove my car each day and savored the freedom of being able to get places independently. I dreamed about the day when I'd be able to ride a bike again, figuring that it was some distance away. Patience is a virtue, right?
But I'm not patient. I do have other virtues, but patience is not one of them. On Saturday, Andy was tidying his garage, and turning over all the bikes. It wouldn't hurt (much) to take my little Ninja around the block, would it? I mean, the bike weighs practically nothing and it all but rides itself. I reasoned that my as yet unused off-road helmet would be light enough for weak neck muscles to hold up for a few minutes.
Ooohhhhh!! The joy of being back on a bike. The Ninja was gentle and forgiving but after about 45-50 mph the wind was pushing my neck around, jarring the healing bones. That was probably not a good thing, so I turned for home. Common sense dictated that taking some pain pills and having a lie down would be the smartest thing to do next.
But I'm not that smart..... and my FJR was out on the street when I got back. Anyone who has ever experienced the sheer joy of riding an FJR will understand that this opportunity could not pass. I traded bikes and immediately my neck felt better. With the bags off, the bigger bike was in top notch form for a zip around town. I was drawn to Pacific Coast Highway and it's cool, ocean breezes. The bike purred with pleasure each time I opened the throttle. I don't usually extend the shield, since I enjoy the feeling of the wind in my face but to protect my neck, I winched up the screen. I was able to ride at any speed that the conditions would tolerate, with little to no discomfort. Besides, I didn't care how much it hurt because I was back on my FJR.
The usual crowd of moron cagers were busily trying to kill me, and each other. My instincts were thankfully still there. The quick roll on that the big bike offers allowed me to escape while they were still plotting their attacks. One driver even APOLOGIZED as he found me riding in the lane he'd just swerved into. I'd pegged this guy, waaaay back as one to watch. Good call.
Now, I was on an adrenaline high. I felt no pain. However, I was aware that Andy was anxiously waiting at home for my return, so I turned for home. Now, it really was time to be a rehab patient again. But...... what's this? another bike warmed up and running? What would it hurt to take the XL250 for a putz around the tract? What a contrast to the FJR. The 1980 model just puttered along gently. I snagged every cul-de-sac in the neighborhood for a U-turn and/or some figure eights. My confidence was building and it felt FANTASTIC.
Time to go home and rest??? NOT!!!! Andy's newest acquisition was out on the driveway. As yet, I hadn't ridden his BMW RTP1100. No time like the present! He kindly moved it onto the street for me, where I had to do some acrobatics to get it off the side stand. It was leaned well over, plus the camber of the road. When I got on board, I could barely reach the right side foot peg, so I had to slide over to touch the ground, then yank the bike in that direction. It worked! Who needs more than a pointed toe on the ground?
The turn signals provided some excitement. BMW have a different set up to any other bike I've ever ridden. The left signal is on the left and the right is on the right. Both are tucked away out of sight. The cancel for both sides is on the right. Not being familiar with the bike, I had to take my eyes off the road for far too long to find the signals. Then, when I tried to cancel the indicator, I rolled on the throttle just like a beginner learning to use the front brake. Practice is obviously needed!
The first intersection was just a teensy bit challenging. I brought the bike to a stop then put my right foot down. The ground wasn't quite where I thought it was going to be. The fraction of a second that it took my toe to contact terra firma seemed awful long. It wasn't a big deal though, because the BMW carries it's weight low down so I felt pretty steady.
The ocean breezes felt just as good on this bike as they did on the FJR. My neck was protected by the windshield. The bike was comfortable and easy to ride but lacked the oomph that I am used to. No complaints though. I was having a blast. Which bike would it be next? Perhaps the green-sticker dirt bikes shouldn't go on the road, but Andy's Star Warrior could do with an airing. Yes, that would be next.
It wasn't to be. My husband is smarter about these things than I am, and he had stowed all the bikes away in the tight formation needed to close the garage door. I was obliged to rest up, and did feel better for doing so.
Today, I had my pick of the bikes for a lunch date. I chose the best one, for a ride to Hollywood to meet some friendly folks for lunch. There were a whole lot of FJR's at Pink's today. Despite the temperature rising to 109 degrees on the way, it was an awesome ride. I had comfort, power, speed plus superb handling. What more can one ask for?
Jill
