Notes from a New Rider…

First, I’d like to thank the Lilyboys for giving me an opportunity to share my motorcycle experiences as a new rider. I hope that for those who are considering taking the leap there is some educational value in them and for the experienced, some nostalgia.

May 15, 11:30am

I enter the Driver Examination Centre in Brantford Ontario. Mostly full of kids who are trying to get their drivers licenses and elderly people who are trying to keep theirs. My number is called, I inform the government employee that I am here to take my M1 written test. I am handed three test and promptly state “Huh?”. I learn that I not only have to write the motorcycle rules test, but the road rules test, and the road signs test. I state that this could be a very humbling experience, after all I have been licensed to drive a car for more than 20 years and haven’t cracked a road rules or road signs book since I was 16. The results;

1. Road Signs; 1 wrong
2. Motorcycle Rules; 2 wrong
3. Road Rules; 4 wrong (5 and you fail)—Damn you, you graduated licensing questions, damn you to hell!

Never the less, I pass. I could drive out of the parking lot on a motorcycle if I had one. Next step is to inform my wife of what I have done. That evening I tell her while standing well out of striking distance, she pretends that she didn’t hear me and life continues as usual. That night I sleep with one eye open. Various discussions ensue over the next months, kids are really excited about Dad becoming a “motorcycle guy”, wife not so much but in the end she understands that this is something I want to do. I sign up for Sheridan College’s motorcycle training course and wait anxiously for July to come.

July 9, 5:51pm

The class room portion of the course is about to begin. I fill out all the necessary forms—who I am, next of kin, “it’s not their fault if I die”. We watch power point slides, which is easier for me than most since I have been a victim of many hours of corporate training.  We see some pictures of road rash, talk about equipment, 4 hours and 3 coffees later I go home and great ready for 16 hours of riding on the weekend.

July 11, 7:55am

The class meets at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. A perfect spot to take the test on a not so perfect day. Our introduction to riding motorcycles begins with a morning of rain and humidity. If you are interested in the sensation of what it is like to ride a motorcycle in these conditions, wrap yourself in plastic (over denim), turn your shower on hot and stand in it for 2 hours. The sun showed up in the afternoon, we stopped pushing motorcycles and started riding. The basics seem, well, basic. Pull the clutch let it out slow and feel how the bike engages. If you’ve operated a standard transmission on a car you will understand the principle. Barely an hour later we’re riding around like bear’s at the circus, circle after circle with the ringmasters (instructors) yelling at us, EYES UP! KNEES IN! SPEED UP! The afternoon continues, we do fun cool stuff like push steering, and not so fun stuff like slow riding through pylons. By 2:00pm or so we have our first incident, a guy went down. His ego and foot are bruised and after the paperwork is complete, he hops back on and completes the day. We end with some “real-life” riding around the CCIW—it’s a blast, this is why I wanted to do this! I get home and talk about what I learned incessantly to my wife, who doesn’t really give a shit, but humors me none the less. Be prepared the day leaves you exhausted.

July 12, 7:42am

I arrive at the CCIW for day two. We go right into riding. We all carefully go over the rules of starting the bike (FINECC—Fuel, Ignition, Neutral, Engine, Choke, Clutch) and take off for a few warm up laps. The day starts early with someone going down on the first corner. A cardinal rule was broken, never squeeze the brakes in a lean. The rider tries to tough it out, but it’s her shifting foot that’s hurt, the course is done, but can be retaken at no charge (nice move on Sheridan’s part).  A little more slow riding (dread), emergency breaking, emergency swerving, accelerating through a curve all good stuff, 3:00pm is test time. My nerves have gotten the better of me, I demand of the instructor a play by play of what is on the road test, but he doesn’t give in and his response is simply “it’s easy”. They line us up in particular order , I am behind the class superstar and instantly assume that this will only accentuate my mistakes. Slowly we go through the exercises one by one. Shoulder checks are paramount and for heaven’s sake, don’t drop the bike which results in instant failure. Testing takes about 90 minutes and then the waiting begins.

After some banter about mistakes we made, I lament that test was easy, but made no promises that I passed. The senior instructor comes out of the trailer like Moses coming down from the mountain, gives us a speech (get on with it already) and announces that the entire class has passed. Inside I breathe a sigh of relief and am pleased I won’t get any abuse from friends. I walk back to my car as pleased with myself as I have ever been and then begin to think about how I will tell my wife that I passed and I would soon begin looking to make a capital purchase.

-Gleason (up next… my first trip to the motorcycle shop)

Notes from a New Rider…