Along for the ride

I still don't have a motorcycle yet, so I try to get rides as a passenger whenever possible. It's so much fun, that it makes me want one even more, but it's still better than not riding at all! Last weekend we visited Jenna's family and my father-in-law pulled his Road Star out of the garage for me. I got to sit on the back seat while we took a tour of bustling downtown Waconia.

His brother's restored '62 Honda Dream was there. I shared a photo of this bike before, and I took some detail shots this time around since we had brought my wife's fancy new camera with us. Later that night, I got to ride on another motorcycle when John picked me up for the Bike Depot board meeting. Thanks John!

Soft machines

The Japanese do the best crafts. A company in Sapporo called Rocket Craft makes unique plush replicas of their clients' cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles. Also a manatee. Check out the detail on this V-Twin engine! Many more samples are available on the Rocket Craft website.

BRC day 3: the thrilling conclusion

The final day of BRC began when everyone arrived early to review figure-8 turns and quick stops. At the official class start time, we started the first of four new exercises. When we had finished learning those, we spent some time doing practice runs of the actual test course. Then we took a break. When we came back, one of our instructors was no longer acting as a teacher but as an official evaluator for the state of Minnesota.

Before we started the test, a fellow classmate said, "now it's the hard part." I said that this would be the easiest part. On every other exercise, we were learning something new, but the test was all things that we already knew how to do!


I was riding Alphonse again. We reviewed each part of the course before doing that section of the test. In order to earn our M endorsement, we had to successfully complete a figure-8 box, high-speed swerve, quick stop, and sharp turn. After all our practice I was feeling confident, but I still relaxed and concentrated all my attention on what I was doing, and I passed my behind-the-bars examination with points to spare.

I highly recommend the BRC to anyone who wants to learn to ride a motorcycle. The instructors were very friendly and helpful. They also did a great job at pacing for a class with riders of widely varying experience levels. Best of all, a shout-out to my instructors who waited after class when I realized I had brought the wrong paperwork, and a huge thanks to my wife who found my motorcycle permit and brought it to the course, without whom I would not now have an M endorsement on my driver's license.

BRC day 2: fun with Alphonse

Saturday afternoon was instruction and riding on the practice lot. I was one of the first students to arrive, so I had my pick of the fleet, although there were really only four or five different models to choose from. I decided to ride a Suzuki GN125 named Alphonse.

When we started the class I had practically no experience wih motorcycles or manual transmissions. By the time we finished I could shift, swerve, corner, and quick brake like a pro--or like someone who has done five hours of intensive training.

At the end of class, I walked away with a greater respect for motorcycles and gratitude toward Alphonse for carrying me through the day. I was amazed at how much I had learned so far, and humbled by how much I have yet to learn. I was sore, tired, and sunburnt (despite the fact that I lathered on sunblock before class). I was also looking forward to another day of practice, because riding motorcycles is fun!

BRC day 1: classroom

I don't have pictures from the class, so here is a photo of my uncle-in-law's Honda Dream Touring motorcycle

I sat through day one of the Basic Rider Course and now I'm qualified to sit on a motorcycle. I have been boning up on cycling safety as preparation for the class, so some of the material was review for me. But it's good review and I look forward to reinforcing those lessons with actual practice in the saddle.

The new material was the real basic stuff, since books for motorcyclists will assume you will know how to do things like, oh, turning it on. Of course, I have close to zero experience, so this information was extremely helpful!

The class involved mostly going through a book (the BRC Rider Handbook) and answering questions in small groups. The discussion was broken up with short (and sometimes mildly cheesy) video clips. There were about 20 people in the class on Friday and that will split in half for the weekend; one group in the morning and one in the afternoons. I'll try to arrive early to get first dibs on bikes, and maybe some photographs as well.

BRC introduction: motorcycles are awesome

When my dad was about the age I am now, he was involved in all kinds of risky hobbies: skydiving, amateur car racing, and of course motorcycle riding. He gave up his bike after a buddy of his died in a crash. When I was little, he scared me away from motorcycles by telling me this story. But it turns out that biking is just in my blood!

I first got the itch when my college flatmate bought a 1972 Honda 350 to ride around town. Or it could have been a couple of years later, after I was married, and took my first rides as a passenger on my father-in-law's touring bike. Or maybe it all started at high school graduation when I sat on this Harley Davidson Heritage Softail.

Either way, this weekend I'm taking the first step toward learning how to ride and survive on a motorcycle. I will be attending a 3-day Basic Rider Course (BRC) with the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center (MMSC). The course starts with 4 1/2 hours of classroom instruction on Friday night. Saturday and Sunday afternoons, I will practice riding in a closed lot on a training motorcycle. At the end of the day Sunday, there's a skill test so I could potentially earn my license endorsement this very weekend.

How exciting! I'll be posting reports after class each day.

Motorcycle Diary

I was telling my father-in-law a few months ago about my plans to buy a motorcycle. It must have made him nostalgic for his own biker days, because he went out and bought a vintage Honda Scrambler. It kind of sounds like a truck stop breakfast entree, but they look like beautiful bikes. I haven't actually seen his yet; it's currently being worked on at his brother's garage. He told me they would restore it and then I could learn to ride on it. Glee!