I am realizing that I am no longer a "scooterist" nor was, nor will be yet, again a "motorcyclist". I am a RIDER. Call it "biker" if you want to elimnate horses, wagons, trains, buses, etc. But the point is the same.
And Lance Armstrong said it well a while ago: "It's not about the bike."
And no, it's not about the scooter or the motorcycle either. What I am saying is that it is what the machine IS in my life and as the basis for my lifestyle that matters. I become my passion: a rider.
The machine is a means to an end. A "tool" so to speak that carries me along to adventures, errands, calm inner places, beautiful landscapes, awesome experiences under the open sky, new friends, joy and more joy.
How quickly, how much it weighs, how much stuff it can carry, what color it is, what brand name it is...all are moot points. The rest is just frills. It is what it DOES in my life that counts. Where it takes me.
Yeah, color is important to some. The capacity to carry stuff (groceries, books, laptops, camping gear, pizzas, bags of dog food, picnic lunches, cases of beer) is important to others.
Comfort and fun to drive or sit upon for hours on end is a factor if you are planning to sit on it for hours on end. All things to consider.
The "cool factor" is important to some. How loud it revs up is important to others. Some flash the brand name and spend more time polishing or modding out their rides than riding them. If they're happy, who cares?
Any way you look at it the machine is a means to an end: new friends, new places, new experiences, new feelings of euphoria, new roads, new photographs, new blog entries, new life lessons, a sense of identity, etc.
Call me "crazy", but aren't we all crazy that do this riding? We "riders"?
We know something that the rest of them don't know and never will: the sweet sensation of riding a motorbike.
Heck, when I'm not riding I'm thinking about riding and when I'm riding I am thinking about where else I plan to ride...
Waxing pathetic? LOL.
ReplyDeleteI'm a rider, too. I don't care about brand. I have a BMW because I rode one for a week and fell in love with it. Actually, I think it took all of a day to fall in love with it. I like Harleys just fine, unless they are loud or piloted by unskilled RUBs hogging the lane in front of me! As for Japanese bikes? They're fine, too. My first was a Honda Rebel 250. Then I had a couple of Yamaha V-Stars. Now the F650GS. Which I love. Or rather, LOVE. It's like an extension of my body, I swear. I have never ridden a scooter and honestly don't know their capabilities. One of those may or may not be fast enough for me. Oh, and woman or not, you are never too old to ride as long as you are physically and mentally able. I am 45 now and hope to have many more years of riding ahead of me. Congrats on the new purchase. I hope the time goes by fast for you!
Deb:
ReplyDeleteHopefully you will have your Elite by mid-May. The season is just starting. The weather is getting warmer. In the meantime you have time to look over your maps and make plans. It's always great to have things to look forward to. Soon plans turn into action and you will be riding into the sunset
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
My Flickr // My YouTube
Deb - this perfectly written! You describe the LOVE of riding and what makes a rider a rider. Scoot or bike it doesn't matter to me, it's 2 wheels and riding is riding. Only a rider knows the sense of euphoria, the satisfaction of a beautiful lean or artfully taken turn. Only a rider is intensely tuned into their environment, you see everything, smell everything and are acutely aware of the thread of road you follow. Only another rider understands the yearning of the heart to be out on the road on a sunny day or understand your feelings when you are roughing it out on a bad day. It's funny because I don't consider myself a car driverr anymore because I am so rarely in it. Enjoy the anticipation of getting your scooter all the more sweeter, it will be parked in your garage before you know it. Until then my friend - D R E A M !!
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