I Want To Learn To Ride A Motorcycle.

I taught myself to ride a bike at age five, so I figure in my 50’s I can learn to ride a motorcycle.

As a young child, I didn’t have a bike, so I had to use what I could find. Often, these bikes were over-sized, which made it look funny me riding on them. But I was determined to learn how to ride a bike.

I learned to hop on my standing foot while pedaling with the other. I failed to get started pedaling many times, but soon after, I started pedaling; it wasn’t my final problem.

Once I got the bike moving, the real challenges started. My play area needed to be bigger for straight lines. Once I started riding, I had to turn, and if I didn’t pedal fast enough, I would fall; if I pedaled more quickly, the bike wanted to stand up, and I would go straight into an outer wall.

I fell many times, trying to balance both actions. It would take a lot of time to learn under challenging circumstances, but I had lots of time in the foster home. One thing I didn’t have was a bike helmet( FAQ: What is ATGATT? )

Riding My Bike Like A ‘Pro’.

Soon I was riding like a ‘pro.’ I could go clockwise and counterclockwise. I started pedaling with no problem, kept going in circles till I wanted to stop without falling. I was very proud of my achievements, and staff would make comments about how I could always be found on the bike if no one was going ‘outside’ to play.

So…it wasn’t unusual to see myself riding in the rain, or later in the evening, conditions that would later prove a challenge. The surface I rode on was partially hard and partially softer, made by playing thick rubber mats down that you find on playgrounds.

Today I Want To Learn To Ride A Motorcycle.

Add in my need for speed, and frequently lost traction, and was thrown to the outside wall. I would tear my shirt sleeves and pants and need to be patched up after a good couple of falls. Some staff members weren’t happy with cleaning me up but were glad they had little work to do to keep me out of trouble compared to other children.

At an early age, I realized riding a bike helped clear my mind of life’s distractions and allow me to the discipline to focus on one task, riding. I rode five speeds of the 70’s, BMX bikes, and mountain bikes.

Never good enough to get into races, but good enough to have fun and spend time with friends. As I aged, I focused on Mountain biking since it makes up for technical riding where I lack in fast riding.

I Was Destined To Learn To Ride Motorcycles!

This post is a long story, but it was my first experience with riding a bike, and it gave me the sense of freedom I longed for. Now being older, I again want to go faster and further. I like riding my bike, and I often wondered what it would be like to ride a bike without having to pedal?

This question is where the motorcycle comes in and where my journey begins as a motorcyclist. I’m getting into the hobby later in life, but I’m sure it will be a nice transition with decades of bike riding experience.

Update: Later, I found that having a lot of regular bike riding experience would pay off with the Motorcycle Safety Course requirements.