OK, I confess...

The bike is a loaner.

Its owner, my friend Ile, is house-sitting a few doors away and has parked it here and left me the key so I can play with it.

It was so much fun...
...and SO scary.... !

Riding with finesse takes practice. And in these mountains, it's hard to find a long, fairly straight road for practicing without hitting traffic, or gravel, or VERY tight corners, not to mention steep hills (the downs are so much worse than the ups!).

It felt nothing like my old bike (24 years ago!).
And my perspective is very different now.
And my awareness of the kinds of damage that this body might sustain is more acute.

It was a great physical fit: It sits so low that I could put my feet flat on the ground. The center of gravity is also low, so I wasn't really worried about laying it down.
But I'd forgotten the feel of cornering - it happens with leaning more than steering.
I'd lost the feel of gear shifting. Hands and feet have to work together so differently than they do in driving a four-wheeled vehicle.

I remembered the freedom of flying, though - and it's still there.
I remembered the camaraderie of bikers - and it's still there.
I remembered the sense of power and the 'outlaw' spirit - and they're still there.

I was in my 30's when I last owned a motorcycle. I DON'T remember ever being afraid.
(well, once, when I laid the bike down on a street my brother told me NEVER to ride on!)
But, yesterday, it was there...just a little voice of fear. Not enough to spoil the moment, but changing the experience, none the less.

I'm going to ride again...!
I'm going out early in the morning, maybe Sunday, before the church goers are up, when the traffic is practically nonexistent and I can practice all my skills.
AND THEN, I'm going for a real ride.
I'll be back to tell you all about it. :)

Meanwhile...
...go do something that's just a little scary. It feels GREAT!!!