Sitting on my 2024 Triumph Speed Twin 900, that I call “Lucy”, at Parker’s gas station in West Ashley, I decided to check my mileage before I shut down my bike and hunted down a hot cup of coffee. Pressing the info button, I reached the odometer and to my surprise, it read 1004 miles. “Wow!” I thought, one thousand miles on Lucy. To give this some context, I am a new rider and Lucy is my second bike after owning a 2023 Moto Morini scrambler that later died. Being so early in my motorcycle career, reaching a thousand miles on a bike is huge for me. As a new rider you are faced with so many new challenges and situations that you must learn quickly how to survive on a motorcycle before shit goes south. Seeing over a thousand miles on my new bike made me sing my praises but also is a reminder, I have so much more to learn and do on my motorcycle.

What has transpired over the past few weeks while riding Lucy throughout the Lowcountry is amazing. I have commuted to work, completed a round trip of 70 miles, made the effort to practice motorcycle technics each morning, and swallowed my prided and let the professional motorcycle mechanics at Charleston Triumph work on Lucy. I also took part in my first Distinguish Gentleman’s group ride and ultimately discovered the joy of owning a modern retro motorcycle made by Triumph. Riding a Bonneville engine is truly an exciting experience. It has changed my life.

As my confidence grows with each ride, I am at my heart, a student. I love to study and learn from others who have great knowledge in motorcycling who share their passion either with YouTube videos or the books I read. Recently I have connected with a few motorcycle instructors who have help shape my thinking towards motorcycling and how to overcome my fears and struggles with this sport. I am mapping out a way to keep me safe and alert on the public roads as well as enjoy each ride to the fullest. Finally, my motorcycle career is about taking the next step. I am hoping to attend an advance motorcycle class in the fall and in four years, or sooner, I plan to purchase my second motorcycle that will introduce me to track racing as well as riding throughout the Lowcountry. As a former artist, I always looked to improved and use different materials in my artwork. Adding a second motorcycle that focuses on performance is a long term goal of mine. Wonder what will happen in the next thousand miles with Lucy.