The Sunday Morning Ride

Early Sunday morning. Sun rising over the hill. Birds flitting about, chirping.

You approach the garage. The air is crisp and clear. No wind. It’s quiet out, not many people up right now – the usual buzz of human activity is conspicuously absent.

You open the garage - your ride awaits. You roll it out of the garage. A quick check of tire pressure: just right. Oil level: perfect – you can’t remember ever having to add oil, but you check it anyway. Chain looks good, tension is spot-on, you lubed it after the last fill-up. Controls? Adjusted. Brake light? Check.

You start your bike. The engine comes to life and runs at a fast idle while warming up. Final check – gloves, helmet, sunglasses, hearing protection. Have you forgotten anything?

You swing your leg over the bike and retract the side stand. The motor’s warmed up now. Idle is back to normal. A few blips of the throttle – you’re satisfied that everything is as it should be.

Dropping the bike into first gear, you pull out of the driveway and head out on your ride. The crisp morning air brings your mind into sharp focus on the task at hand: riding. No time to think about work, the car, or the backyard chores.

Dances with cages

As you head towards your favorite back road destination, you feel the tensions of everyday life melting away, soon to be nothing more than a distant memory... but beware! You are surrounded by half-asleep drivers, safe in their metal tombs.

You focus on the cages that surround you as you make your way through town: an inattentive driver could turn your day into a disaster. You scan the periphery of your vision and check your mirrors constantly. Pulling up to a stop light, you study the mirrors intently, watching for oncoming cars – this is your most vulnerable moment, a sitting duck, a fat juicy target for a distracted cage driver reaching down to change CDs, flip to another radio station, or perhaps grab a fallen gadget.

Fortunately, no threats appear, and the light turns green – you’re on the move again, in your element: nimble, fluid, quick.

City traffic fades away

You arrive at the entrance to your favorite road. Leaving the city behind, from here it’s smooth riding, with only the occasional stop sign. There are a few other motorcycles on the road, but for now, you are on your own, in your own little world.

The road unwinds before you as your mind races, your senses sharpen, and you look ahead to the oncoming turn.

Planning and execution are critical: scan the road surface for hazards, pick a turn-in point, brake, turn in, look ahead to the turn exit. Avoid crossing the centerline – you’re not the only one on the road, there are no safety crews, and a collision here would be catastrophic. Hold a steady line – no sudden inputs. Accelerate smoothly out of the turn. Perfect! You look forward to the next turn, eager for the chance to practice your technique. There’s nothing more rewarding than a well-executed turn…

The long arm of the law

As you make your way down your favorite road, you notice the occasional law enforcement vehicle – a reminder that this isn’t your own private racetrack, that you need to maintain a cool head and a sane pace - for your own good, if not the good of others. You check your speed, notice that you may have been going a wee bit faster than the posted limits, and you make a mental note to stay on top of your speed – it’s just too damn easy to let it get away from you, and the last thing you need right now is a moving violation on your record. You recall the old adage: power corrupts… and your bike is nothing if not powerful. That's one of the joys - controlling the awesome power of the modern motorcycle.

Taking a break

You reach a resting place on your road, a small country store (are there really such things...) where there is a small gathering of fellow riders. You pull in to the parking area, get off your bike, and take your place among the other riders, talking shop, sharing experiences, or fantasizing about that exotic bike you’d love to get your hands on.

Ok, enough of this – you’re here to ride, so you bid farewell to the other bikers, fire up your bike, and get back on the road. You have a lot of roads to ride today before you get back to the ‘real world’. Today you've decided to ride solo, foregoing the camaraderie of group riding in favor of the ability to explore the roads at your leisure – no discussions about which roads to take, no worries about maintaining a safe distance, no need to ‘keep up’ with anyone – just you, your bike, and the roads. You set your own pace.

The remains of the day

Upon returning home, you wash your cherished ride - after drying it off, you check that everything is still in order - chain, tires, brakes, controls, lights. All is well. You grab the cold beverage of your choice, maybe a nice brew - now it's time to unwind, and think about today's ride: obstacles overcome, hazards avoided, the corners executed to perfection and the ones that could use improvement - maybe the corner that you charged and had to brake a little harder that you anticipated, or was it the decreasing radius that you misjudged? You reflect on the nature of motorcycling: a constant challenge to improve, refine, and excel. When you get it right there's nothing more satisfying.

As you close the garage for the day, you think ahead to the next ride - perhaps to the coast for a ride up Highway 1. Maybe up to the foothills - see some sights you haven't seen in a while. It doesn't matter; you know that no matter where you choose to ride, you will return with memories that can last a lifetime.

Copyright © 2007 Michael Curry, RoadCarvin.com