Spring has arrived and I am happy to say I am back on my bike! After a few weeks of waiting for new tires, a runnability test performed by my favorable local dealership Charleston Triumph, then a check engine light that mysteriously came on, and to my happiness, turned off. What I am learning about my beloved Moto Morini over the past month is, my motorcycle hates to be parked in my mom’s garage for extend periods of time. Releasing my bike from the garage after such a long hiatus, my bike develops, what I call the “Italian Attitude”. The engine will sound angry and the bike will be unhappy until I ride her. Checking the Moto Morini forums the best thing to do is keep all the fluids level, a full tank of gas, and ride my bike like it’s my last ride. I am happy to say that as of today, everything is working. Praise God!
Throughout the month of April, I will be making some upgrades to my Moto Morini that will transform my bike into a whole new machine. I am excited for this and with the new riding season, I look forward to rolling the throttle with my new upgrades. I will say that my new tires, Bridgestone Battlax AdventureCross Scrambler, have offered a smooth ride compared to the original rubber I had on my bike. These tires have improved my riding experience while on the road, which is where 90% of my riding takes place.
Today, I want to speak about my Part III in my Mindfulness & Motorcycling journey. Returning to riding after a month off was a bit overwhelming. I didn’t help my anxiety by deciding that my first ride back on my Moto Morini with fresh new tires would be 40 mile around work commute ride. Yet, I am happy I did it because I learned something new about myself as a motorcyclist. I learned, that I need to focus more on what is happening in front of me, and pay less attention to what my inner dialogue. In other words, “don’t be a head case while riding your motorcycle Rolf!” Discovering this I thought a great addition to my riding experience would be to listen to music while riding. I listen to music all the time. It helps me focus, relax, and brings me joy. So why not add this ingredient to my rides on my Moto Morini. On a cool late March Saturday morning, I popped in my AirPods and hit the road. This was transformational.
For safety, I kept the volume low, just above the sound of my engine. My playlist for my first ride with music was the SiriusXM channel “Chill Instrumentals”. A perfect blend of downtown temp beats with no vocals. Just listening to the slow uplifting beat and knifing my way around James Island and Folly Beach. Within a few minutes I was completely dialed in with my machine and my surroundings. A few brief seconds of brain talk was immediately canceled by Chill’s music vibes. I refocused my attention to the road and ended up riding for 2 hours. Granted traffic was light but it was a wonderful test. Allowing music to drive me forward, allowed me to reach a clarity during my ride that I attribute to Mindfulness & Motorcycling….with music.
Since my first ride with music, I have completed a wonderful work commute listening to music as I make my way to North Charleston from James Island and back home. Again, music played an important part in my mental state throughout my ride. Relaxing me, focusing me, and above all creating a peaceful motorcycling experience. Something I have been searching for.
Rolf