I don't wanna pickle. . .
Feb. 10th, 2003 09:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brynndragonI went to a motorcycle expo yesterday, the one up in Salem, NH. I sat on a motorcycle for the first time, grabbed the handles, held it between my legs. I actually sat on several motorcycles, trying to see how external visuals meshed with how it felt, how heavy it was, etc. I even tried on a helmet or two (I'm a small, big shock). I signed up on a mailing list for Women on Wheels; the woman at the booth told me that the Boston Freedom Riders were likely the organization closest to me and would e-mail contact info for the directors of said organization.
I am so fucking hooked.
I want a bike so bad I can taste it. Some people have pointed out that a POS econocar costs as much as a bike and can carry more stuff/people and is less dangerous. I'll agree on the first part, honestly not convinced on the second one (assuming one takes basic safety precautions like wearing a helmet). But the relative conveniences and comforts of a car don't make a damn to me. A car would be nice; I *want* a bike.
Probably start with a Honda Nighthawk (~250cc engine) or something similar. A small bike that doesn't go faster than 55-60 mph to learn on. Will prolly cost between $1000 and $2000. A motorcycle class costs $250. The gear will cost some unknown amount, including ~$100 for a helmet that covers my whole head (unless I get it used). I'm hoping to get the class, the bike, and the licence by the end of the upcoming riding season.
My middle-term goal is to ride a bike down to my folk's near DC (obviously this would necessitate getting a beefier bike than the one mentioned above, like a Shadow), to be done within the next couple of years. My long-term goal is to ride across the US and back, taking a month or two for the excursion.
I am so fucking hooked.
I want a bike so bad I can taste it. Some people have pointed out that a POS econocar costs as much as a bike and can carry more stuff/people and is less dangerous. I'll agree on the first part, honestly not convinced on the second one (assuming one takes basic safety precautions like wearing a helmet). But the relative conveniences and comforts of a car don't make a damn to me. A car would be nice; I *want* a bike.
Probably start with a Honda Nighthawk (~250cc engine) or something similar. A small bike that doesn't go faster than 55-60 mph to learn on. Will prolly cost between $1000 and $2000. A motorcycle class costs $250. The gear will cost some unknown amount, including ~$100 for a helmet that covers my whole head (unless I get it used). I'm hoping to get the class, the bike, and the licence by the end of the upcoming riding season.
My middle-term goal is to ride a bike down to my folk's near DC (obviously this would necessitate getting a beefier bike than the one mentioned above, like a Shadow), to be done within the next couple of years. My long-term goal is to ride across the US and back, taking a month or two for the excursion.
