On riding a motorcycle

Most of my friends my age are aghast that Dearly Beloved and I jump onto the BMW and actually ride around the State on it. It's a "death machine" and we're not even called "organ donors" anymore because there's not enough left to donate.

Crap!

Yes, bike riding has an element of danger. Well, that's great!! I do not want to live what's left of my life cocooned from danger or excitement. I want to see, hear, feel and smell the real world. I want to feel the road beneath me, feel the bike lean to my command, feel the tyres bite into the tarmac, feel the push from the engine as we accelerate away ...

We just spent a quick two days away on the 1150RT. We only got half an hour from home for breakfast and it rained. The lady at the counter told me there was a storm warning for where we were heading, with localised flooding. The weather bureau radar on the iPhone told me we'd miss most of it. So we kept going.

Six hours later, we'd had just two "showers"; nothing drastic at all. We had our wets on and actually enjoyed our ride.

We stayed overnight in a very isolated country "town", called Quindanning. Next morning was not raining, but socked in with fog. We waited until 9.30 and left. It was unreal ... just us and the road. Was it dangerous? Perhaps. Roos would have been hard to see, granted. But they're not usually out and about in that weather. And all the other traffic (the little there was) was driving steadily and headlights on. I actually felt safer than the day before when I was driving a major highway in fairly heavy traffic.

By the time we got home I was totally supercharged. I wanted to ride more; even though I knew I couldn't. We'd done some 650 km in two days and yes, I was tired. The RT, two-up, full panniers and top box, is no lightweight.

But the memories!!! I went to sleep last night dreaming of the road and shifting gears and leaning and looking for the apex and ...

Tonight will be the same. And tomorrow, at work, I know I'll be able to slip away mentally if I have to.

So, all you people who ask "Why the hell do you ride" ... the answer's simple ... It makes me alive! And I'll do that as long as I can ride safely on the roads and I can still get a leg across the saddle.