Transportation
Yesterday afternoon I had to do some errands and did them on my motorcycle. I had to go to Poulsbo to Wal*Mart to get a new battery for a watch and then I decided to ride down to Bremerton on Highway 3 to check out summer jackets and 3/4 helmets.
I don’t usually ride the highway when I go to Bremerton on the bike but I really enjoyed it yesterday. It was sunny and warm and I was just in a t-shirt and shorts. Not very protective but a lot of fun. There I was barreling down the highway at about 70mph and feeling totally comfortable on the Ninja 250R which performed very well. That was the longest I’ve ridden the bike at high speed I noticed when I got to Wal*Mart that my testicles go to sleep from the vibration and when I get off the bike it feels really strange. The probably is due to the lightness of the bike and a slight vibration or how I’m sitting on the seat. Most likely the latter because I didn’t notice it as much on the way back from Bremerton.
Cliff’s Cycle Center had a 3/4 helmet for $90 and summer, mesh jackets for $100-$150. I didn’t buy anything though because I’m not sure it’s worth the expense or if I’d use them that much. Coming back it started to drizzle and it was a sensation that I’d never felt before. As each drop of water hit my shirt I could feel a little cool spot against my torso. I looked up and saw dark clouds ahead but clear sky further north and I hoped that I’d make it through the cloudy area before it rained. Going that fast in a wet t-shirt would probably have left me feeling very cold. I don’t know if I’d be cold enough for hypothermia, though.
I thought maybe I should have bought one of those jackets.
By the time I got back home, I was feeling great, very relaxed. Riding a motorcycle in an environment where you are surrounded by beautiful scenery is so much more than just transportation from point A to point B. It’s transportation from one state of mind to another. I think it’s probably a lot like meditation because you are so focused in the moment by all the sensations and sounds, the cars and trucks passing you or you passing them. You’re out there with the metal, the air, the noise, the sun, the raindrops, the concrete, the smell of exhaust and the fresh air blowing against your face or through the air vents in the helmet.
And you know it could all end in an instant. It could go black as my body is sent flying across the pavement.
Millions of people ride safely and uninjured every day so I don’t focus on it. But you are very vulnerable. There is an sense of connectedness to the moment, adventure and life that I don’t feel when I’m driving in a car.
The Ninja has just over 2700 miles on it now, almost time for its 3000 mile checkup.
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