Wednesday, October 24, 2012

it's hard to steer with your front wheel in the air






Wheelies-the front wheel in the air, and stoppies, the rear wheel in the air have become commonplace among today's motorcyclists. Whereas in the past only the brave on a dirt bike, or the rare Evel Knievel type would wheelie, now we see them on the freeways, leaving a stoplight, and other places. Not an unusual sight. Not as common, but still gaining in popularity are stoppies, grabbing the front brake and watching the rear wheel leave the ground. Giving Harley riders an argument for not using their front brake, while they skid past you only using their rear. I have done both, stoppies unintentially, and ended up sitting on the tank. It felt cool, I wish I had known it was coming. Wheelies-well the Street Triple encourages them, and bringing the front wheel up while accelerating in second gear is fun. I don't recommend either one, but I don't discourage them either. They're fun when done right.
My first impromptu wheelie was on BH's CB 750, with Brennan on back. I missed the shift between first and second, and with the engine at redline, hit second-and got hit in the head by Brennan's foot as they left the pegs. Scared me, which I never admitted-but scared him even more-which he did. My other BH example was when he was showing off for a girl-and wheelied the same bike, sans passenger. Watching the young lady watch him, he failed to notice the car in front of him stopping, and brought the front wheel down on the trunk. Unhurt, bike OK, but the cop in the car that he landed on had no sense of humor, or of trying to impress girls, never mind wheelies, and gave him a ticket. Over the years I have had various friends wheelie 15-17 miles at time, I'm impressed, they're nuts. And I wish I had the skill, or at least the courage to attempt either one. Sometimes fear can be a good thing, in my case it probably has added years to my riding, which I consider a fair trade.
On the latest Triumph Explorer I rode, it has traction control and ABS. Which makes skidding and burnouts all but impossible, call it an anti-fun mode. Fortunately it can be turned off. And overall it hasn't made a better rider, but a safer one. Which can't be all bad, but there are times you just gotta wheelie, skid, or stoppie-what good is fun if you don't enjoy it? Yet it is the power that your wrist controls that controls these things also, and for racers wins races. It is hard to steer while wheeling-and without the rear wheel on the ground, no power is getting to the track. And although it looks cool, the winners save it for their victory lap. I could name some exceptions, but will honor their talent by not implicating them. Power under control keeps both wheels on the ground, allows you to use all your braking capability, go faster, steer better, and still have more fun than should be legal.
Power under control is not a new concept, but spoken of for almost 2000 years. God calls it meekness, quite different from the weakness that meekness invokes today. Meekness meant, and still means doing the right thing, although a wrong retaliation would be proper given the situation. We recently were verbally confronted by someone, and it would have been easy to verbally retaliate, but yet we chose to just get up and leave-winning the argument by default. And not causing any further continuance that could be blamed on us. It is the fruit of the spirit, and is listed just before self control-it is a choice you make to control the situation, let it get out of control, or let God deal with it. Meekness allows God to deal with it for you-your choice, because He never forces His way upon you. And just like riding, you get better traction with both feet on the ground, on special footing. Jesus tells us the wise man built his house upon the rock, all else is sinking sand. Remember that next time you lose traction-and the ABS or traction control is slow. Jesus isn't, He has everything under control, and offers this same to you-via your choice to be meek. Power under control, the quality of every race winner, survivor on the street, and Christians everywhere.
To truly enjoy the freedom of the road, you need to keep the wheels turning, and life is also like that. Few have the talents, and even fewer the road to showcase other skills, and for most of us survival is more important than showing off. I don't have to brag about what kind of rider I am, my skills reflect it, and so do the many miles on different types of bikes. Meekness is soft spoken, doesn't brag on itself, and is there when needed, even in emergency situations. And just ask my friend BH who landed on the trunk of the police car. The fine was well over a week's pay for him, the girl kept going, and he had a severely bruised ego. But the story goes on, as does his riding, showing God's mercy and grace. May you keep the rubber side down, the shiny side up, and get every thrill from riding and life you can. Power under control can allow you great wheelies, impressive stoppies, and even a date with the pretty girl. But like my friend Ivan Stewart once said, "it is not the jumps that scare him, it is the landing." Stay on solid ground with Jesus, meekness can be as close as your throttle hand. A marksman is known by his aim, not his arrows. What your life reflects will tell us what you are known by. Power under control...a twist of the wrist for some, a confidence in God offered to all who believe.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com