Last year, I bought my first motorcycle. It’s a 2000 Suzuki Katana 750, a 4-cylinder sport touring bike. I dreamed about the moment I would finally get to ride a motorcycle for years, what it would be like to carve up the roads and feel the freedom of cage-less transport. Now, after a year of ridership, I thought I would share five things I’ve learned.
- Riding a motorcycle is scary. I’ve nearly hit a deer, been cut off by drivers, and had the bike try to slip out from under me several times. It feels like a constant battle, where it’s you versus the environment, the people, and the animals. You are constantly in a state of alertness, trying to predict what other drivers are going to do, and hope that they can see you. Every corner I took at speed, I hoped there wouldn’t be a patch of gravel waiting for me mid turn. Every intersection I entered, I hoped the drivers around would see me. It wears you out.
- Riding a motorcycle is fucking awesome. In my mind, it’s the closest thing most of us will ever get to flying. Carving through corners, accelerating more rapidly than nearly any other car on the road, it makes you feel like a superhero. Even with my newbie-level skills, I still felt ridiculously awesome every time I started up the bike. No-one else really cares that you ride, and most people just think it’s dangerous, but it doesn’t matter. Until they’ve done it, they cannot understand the feeling of being so open and free, with no cage around you, no windscreen or doors, just you sitting on top of a fire-breathing beast that wants to kill you. It’s like nothing else I’ve experienced.
- Riding a motorcycle did not replace my love for cars. This one surprised me the most. I was 100% certain that once I had a motorcycle, I wouldn’t care for cars anymore. Why would I? My bike is faster and cheaper than most of them. I was completely wrong. If anything, it make me truly appreciate the benefits of cars. Ease of use is a big one. I like to think of myself as a sane person, and because of this I wear all my gear when I ride the bike. Armoured jacket, pants, gloves, boots, helmet. These are all cumbersome things you don’t even need to think about when you drive a car, just hop in and go. No need to check the weather or road conditions, you’re in a climate controlled steel cage. Carrying capacity was the other big one. I like to camp and rock climb, both very gear-intensive activities. Good luck carrying all the stuff you need for those two things on a sportbike. Sure you might be able to fit everything, but riding with all of it is going to be a nightmare (I can already hear the adventure bike crowd laughing at my complaints).
- Riding a motorcycle makes you realize how many bikes you want. There’s so many types of bikes in the world. Dirt bikes, cruisers, sport bikes, adventure bikes, supermotos, minibikes, on and on the list goes. Having a sport touring bike, I can go as fast as I want, maneuver quite well, and commute in relative comfort. Not bad for one bike. However, if I wanted to ride on dirt, not a chance, need a dirt bike or ADV bike for that. If I want to hoon around and be a delinquent, the sport touring bike is too heavy to really get wild, I need a supermoto or a supersport for that. If I want to just look cool or experience old bike goodness, I can’t really on this bike, I need a cruiser or a vintage bike for that. I’m only one year in to riding, and I’ve already picked out what my next bike, and my next next bike, and my next next next bike will be. My goodness this is an expensive hobby.
- Riding a motorcycle is expensive. Sure, bikes are cheaper than cars with equivalent performance, but dropping a good chunk of change on a bike still hurts the wallet. Then there’s the gear. To be well protected (and smart), you need at least a grand to get properly suited up. Then insurance, upgrades, maintenance and repairs, all for a toy that, at least in Canada, you can only ride for 6 months of the year. In my mind, the expense is worth it for the experience and the adventures that can be had on two wheels, but for others the tradeoff may not be worth it.
And that’s it! Well, not really, but these are the five big standouts after a year of riding. I don’t know about everyone else, but I can’t wait to get back on the bike.
Loose Wheels 