July 12, 2010
Part 3 of 3: Know it all
(Read Part 1 and 2)….. Day two was much more interesting. No more pushing and pretending to make engine noises (although I think that’s pretty fun). We had throttles cranked from 9 to 4 with only a few breaks for water and lunch. I think I even suffered arm pump at one point! By the end of it, almost everyone had greatly improved their skills and confidence; they could accelerate smoothly, brake BEFORE the pylons and switch gears.
I was proud of my fellow classmates and looked forward to seeing many of them on the outside … but what about me? I may have appeared poised on the outside, but my guts were still churning. It would all come down to the Final Test. Could I overcome the pressure?? Or would I find myself in the same situation as the DriveTest centre, pleading with the evaluator in a last ditch effort to salvage some dignity? Only the motorcycle gods knew my fate.
To much delight, our final practice drills would also be used (with slight tweaks) for our evaluation. The instructors assured us nothing would be new; we wouldn’t be surprised with a wheelie contest or ring of fire. We just had to keep our heads up, eyes forward and stay within the lines. Like lambs going to slaughter, Michael Michael Motorcycle had us line up one by one behind the first test marker.
I was positioned in the middle and had the opportunity to watch others endure each test first. It felt as though I was watching American Idol; I was glued to those who couldn’t carry a tune, or in this case, carry second gear. I kept my eyes on this one guy who was fumbling around like a wounded duck. He was popping the clutch, mis-shifting and skidding to a stop. It was time to end this poor sap’s misery and put him out to pasture.
“Okay, Daniel, you’re turn!” barked Michael. Mind you these are extremely simple tasks, especially if you have any riding history, but at this point in time, it was like climbing a mountain. I needed everything I had. I don’t really recall the next 20 minutes of my life. I was so focused and determined to beat Michael Michael Motorcycle, the ministry and this damn test that I shut off my brain and just rode.
“Congratulations, you’ve passed,” she said.
“What? I passed?!” I replied.
“You did.”
I couldn’t believe it. I did it. As I let out a huge sigh of relief, it felt as though my motorcycle manhood had been reborn. I thanked the motorcycle gods, and vowed I would no longer be so boisterous of my abilities. Oh and Tab passed too….
So, did I learn anything? You know what, I did. I learned that riding a motorcycle is complicated. Not that I ever thought it was easy—and often I’m forced to defend the difficulty of racing motocross—but I’ve been riding bikes for 24 years and didn’t realize how much of it has become automatic. Like when you see a $20 bill floating across the sidewalk; you don’t ask who it belongs to, you pick it up, stuff it in your wallet, and run.
From now on I promise not to be so critical of those who don’t evolve as quickly as others. I’ve also learned to keep my head up. I’ve developed a bad habit of looking right in front of me, rather than being aware of potential dangers further ahead. That’s probably why I sometimes end up hitting the wrong lines on the track—you gotta look where you want to go! Plus, no matter how skilled you are at something, it never hurts to take a refresher. Just because you’ve been doing something forever, doesn’t mean you’re doing it right.
Now I know it all … right?
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Here is my modified yamaha fz.have a look on video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=admX1J53CdI&sns=em
August 24th, 2010 at 8:23 am