Well, I finally got back in the saddle - so to speak - for the first time in roughly three weeks. This morning while the world slept, or at least the fine folks living in or around LA did, I got a short ride in on the beemer. While it has been hard to be away from riding for so long, it was actually harder to get back on for the first time after such a long layoff. I found myself feeling so uneasy with the bike. Everything seemed hard. The brakes were suddenly soft. The engine was wrecking havoc with my control. Downshifting was clunky. My throttle control was all over the place. Basically, I was fighting the whole process… And frankly, I expected it. After such a long time away from it, I knew I’d feel rusty. I suppose the question is the degree. I’ve come to think of myself as both a good rider and someone who has a pretty decent feel for the bike and suddenly I was neither smooth nor good. This was driving me crazy since unlike the new Duc, the BMW is not new, it’s not unknown and it’s got so much more slack in the gearing, braking, rev’s etc. that I felt like I should know it.
At first, a few miles into the ride, these feelings were driving me crazy. Yet by the time I reached the Agorua Deli - one of our usual breakfest stops - I finally felt like I was getting back into it. By the time I got home, I wouldn’t say I was back, but my relationship with the bike was much better. Still, I was struck by how a long layoff can really effect your riding. It’s not like I haven’t had them before, yet this time while I was laid up I was so very aware that I wanted to ride. Matter of fact, I needed to ride. And I couldn’t. I don’t know of a worse feeling than the desire to do something you find so intrinsic to your lifestyle and/or being and the knowledge that you can’t.
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