Before I Was Corrupted, Pt. 1
Posted in Misc by JessicaP on November 09, 2005
When you’re inundated with performance parts, expensive riding gear, and high-tech motorcycle gadgets, it’s easy to forget what it was like to just make do and ride. But I recently dug up an old photo: a picture of myself sitting on my first bike, in front of my last apartment in New York City. I’m wearing a banged-up, faceshield-less helmet that belonged to my boyfriend at the time; my fashionable “motorcycle” leather jacket from J. Crew; tight jeans; and an old, worn-out pair of Doc Martens. The only gear in the photo that wasn’t years old and of questionable durability were my brand-new Olympia gloves, complete with protective padding, that said boyfriend had bought me.
The best thing about the photo is that you can tell, beneath the helmet and the expensively fashionable sunglasses, that I’m smiling. Hands on the grips, leaning back in the seat, I’m grinning away at the fact that I’ve learned how to ride. I don’t know anything about Kevlar, Cortech, or CE-approved armor. I have no idea what it feels like to ride a bike bigger than 250cc. I have yet to discover what an aftermarket pipe and some recalibration can do; arm-yanking power isn’t even on my horizon yet. I’m just so delighted to be riding my little Nighthawk.
And ride it I did, all over the state of New York. Commuting, day trips, overnight trips… I think the fastest I got going was 75 mph, and that was usually downhill with a tailwind behind me. It didn’t even occur to me that windshields, fairings, aftermarket seats, etc. would have greatly increased my comfort. I couldn’t see in my cheap, vibrating mirrors, but I thought that was par for the course. I took it for granted that riding a motorcycle meant getting slapped with bugs, hit with rain, blown by wind, and, best of all, fully experiencing every atom of air in the atmosphere around me. And all the time, I just couldn’t imagine a better way to get from Point A to Point B.
Until the bike was stolen. And everything changed.
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Comments
- frmrpat says:
posted on: 11/09/05 11:44 PM
I have heard it said that when you no longer fantasize over buying new baubles related to your hobby it is time to change pastimes.
- RC23 says:
posted on: 11/10/05 8:44 AM
Jessica, welcome, glad to see you posting up. hope it doesn't take too much time away from editing Road Bike.
I still wear "Make-Do" gear after 30 years of riding ;-) In fact, I ride a "Make-Do" motorcycle. It has always been my unspoken belief that motorcycling is about riding, and every thing esle associated, including the motorcycle itself, is simply the toolkit.
- Muttley says:
posted on: 11/10/05 10:20 AM
I hear ya.
I remember getting my $500 Seca 750. My $12 Value Village boots and $35 jacket, and a $99 pre-owned helmet. I road the heck out af it and loved every minute of it.
But I kind of like where I'm at now, too ;)
- Gunnar says:
posted on: 11/25/05 10:23 AM
I started with a CB160 Honda wearing an army surplus puke green Jacket with all the pockets and baggy as hell. Welding gloves and an open face metalflake Helmet with a bubble Shield that made it look like you were driving into a depression all the time. And I thought I looked cool!!!
- Nitrous Neil says:
posted on: 12/20/05 6:48 PM
Jessica,
Please marry me!
- TexasThunder says:
posted on: 01/04/07 11:34 PM
Hi Jessica!
I have to agree with Nitrous Neil... "Please marry me!"
I agree very much with what you are saying... It is funny to look back at how I started, riding a Yamaha 250 'enduro' with one of those 3/4 helmets and the 'bubble' shield. I was in the Marine Corps, so my green jacket was NOT "Army Surplus"! I rode it everywhere---street, trails, rain or shine, hot or cold. I even raced it locally, and rode it on 'tours' of several 100 miles, with 30 to 100 other Marines, whenever we got a 3 or 4 day weekend. No windshield, or gel-filled seat, or air shocks... just a 'functional' machine, and a place to go.
My car, at that time, was much the same...no 'frills', just function! It was a 1964 GTO, with no power steering, no A/C, no power brakes, no fancy stereo... just a kick-ass motor, 4-speed, posi-traction, a heater and an AM radio. But, like the motorcycle, it was NEVER a dull moment! Whether it was a blast down the dragstrip, or driving to Church on Sunday morning, or running 145mph on I-20 at 2am, every minute at the controls was a pleasure.
This past weekend, I made an 1800 mile round trip, on my current bike, to visit family for the Holidays. Yes, it is much bigger, with air shocks and a basic windshield, but it was still me and my bike, and 'the elements'.
Jessica, keep up the GREAT work! I LOVE seeing you on episodes of SuperBike, with Jason, and I read every issue of Road Bike, and every article I can find in other magazines that you took part in as a 'guest writer'. I enjoy your work, and wish you MUCH success! (I also enjoy every picture of you that I find along with the articles...)
(o;
- tbeck says:
posted on: 07/19/07 7:47 PM
Great introduction and I look forward to the second part. I wrote a little piece some time back for the Intruder Alert board entitled "Richards Legacy." I'll see if I can round it up for cruisenet. Again, looking forward to part II.
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