After completing my first million mile motorcycle road test, I find things
have changed since my first time throwing a leg over a ride. I have learned a
lot, seen a lot, forgot a lot, and still have much to learn, and experience. I
have seen fast riders go fast on slow bikes, I have seen slow riders go slow on
fast bikes. I have worn off peg feelers on cruisers, and left chicken strips on
race bikes. I have ridden 100 miles in one hour twice, gone coast to coast in
under 70 hours, and ridden in hurricanes, snow and ice, floods, and high winds.
I have been into the rev limiter at 155 mph, thought I was fast at 131 until the
same bike next to me went 148. I got 116 out of third gear on a Daytona 675,
beating Kenny by two miles per hour, and saw Mick get 126 out of the same bike
when tuned properly. I have come to respect both bikes and bikers, speed and
lack of it, and to avoid crowd rides. But I must confess to one weakness that I
still have not overcome, and may not ever. Fear of flipping over when leaving a
light too fast. I have never been much of a one to wheelie because of that, and
have only done stoppies when in a must do situation. The fear of the bike going
over backwards under full throttle in first gear has humbled me many times in a
stoplight showdown, but have no fear opening it up in second or third, even on
my new Street Triple R. I thought it was me....but after reading a Cycle World
article from July of 2003 I feel better, much better. And find my fears are
well based...and also my cautions. And fears.
Paul Dean in answering a question about more power today than in the past,
but not faster times, appealed to me. He had been around forever then still is
now, and should know. His comment stuck with me, seems I knew it all along,
just an ego stepping in my way. “All the more power makes new bikes more
wheelie prone,” he writes, “most current performance bikes accelerate more
rapidly than the older ones once they get into second or third gear, but rarely
can a rider achieve and maintain full throttle in low gear.” Whew, now I feel
better. Sounds like me, and for once, being normal has a good feeling to it.
Seems my fear of flipping motorcycles is not uncommon, and I still can get a
rush out of second and third gear full throttle. And for some reason, when the
front end gets light in those gears I have no fear. My million mile dilemma
solved....now I think a road test for my second million is called for.....
Truth be told, riders have not kept up with the speed capabilities of
motorcycles. Which may explain all the broken plastic on sport bikes, the
bruised baggers, and missing fairings. It all comes down to the control of the
wrist, and some egos are bigger than the talent twisting them. A relationship
between brain and wrist, some 30 inches of possible failure or exhilerating
success. It takes trust from a relationship, knowing what you and both the bike
can do, depending on each other. A trust that only comes from doing, not from
reading about it. It seems riding and a relationship with God share much in
this area. Just ask one Nicodemus for instance.....
That first night when he met with Jesus in the garden, he may not have
known it was the holy spirit drawing him to Jesus. That all of his curiousity
was spirit based, although he only saw the physical in Jesus’ responses. But in
the twenty chapters from the garden to the tomb, inspired by the spirit, he
risked it all to claim the body of Jesus. His position, wealth, power,
prestige, and position would all be challenged, it came down to trusting in what
he could not see, rather than in what he could. Up until that time his religion
was all based on laws, making it impersonal, now he was getting to see first
hand how personal a relationship with God could be, and why God sent Jesus to
restore it. It wasn’t knowledge or tradition, nothing that man could promise
that changed him. It was the holy spirit, taking him to a point where he either
trusted fully or denied fully. One twist of the spiritual throttle away from
hell, or heaven.
Years ago a man who was much smarter than me asked me to pray for him,he
had a decision to make. My answer surprised him when I told him I wouldn’t, and
that God had already told him the right thing to do, he just didn’t want to.
Much like people today shop their problem until the easiest answer, or best
excuse for their sin is found. But when done without the spiritual guidance
from Jesus, there will always be the fear of flipping out, and over. Just like
some riders who are all show and no go, it can happen to Christians too. The
battle of the heart, the 18 inches between head and heart testing our faith.
Which is trusting in the unseen....sometimes when there is no evidence of God at
all. But the spirit is always present.
Today you can experience Jesus first hand like Nicky did, or still cling to
the rhetoric of religion. You can open up the throttle with no fear of
flipping, or never know the rush that comes when you do it correctly. Scripture
calls it power under control, meekness. So if you ride and believe, no matte
how many miles or church meetings, it can still get better. And next time asked
“what’ll she do?” remember what Jesus has done, and is still doing. Speed
doesn’t kill, a barrier stopping you will. Let no barriers get between you and
Jesus, Nicky claimed the body of Jesus with Joseph, what claims do we make on
Jesus? Something to remember the next time sharing communion. Is that all we
do in remembrance of him?
A million miles and still learning. And trusting.....Jesus and
motorcycles, it just don’t get any better!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com