It is hard to believe that I have finished my first year of motorcycling! I am thrill to have reached this milestone in my motorcycling career. What started as a trip to Charleston Triumph last August, to purchase my first motorcycle, a Moto Morini SCR 650, has evolved to owning my first Triumph motorcycle, a Speed Twin 900, which I call “Lucy”. Learning to ride a motorcycle might be one of my biggest accomplishments in my life. As someone who never rode a motorcycle in my life prior August 2024, learning to ride is something I feel has changed my life. I still vividly remember taking my MSF Basic Rider Course at Trident Technical College in late July, in a hot and humid parking lot, riding a Yamaha 250 Duo Sport Motorcycle and absolutely loving every second. The MSF course was groundbreaking for me. It taught me the basics, got me to understand how to start a bike, turn a bike, and most importantly, STOP A BIKE LOL. The brakes on a motorcycle are your friend. Finishing the MSF course at Trident Technical College on a Sunday afternoon, with my certificate in hand, I was proud of myself. Yet was I ready for the public roads of the Lowcountry? NOPE.
The teaching drills that MSF taught me didn’t stop when I started up my first motorcycle on a hot day in August, outside my mom’s house in 2024. Since then, I have read a few books on motorcycling, developed a training plan each time I set out to ride, becoming very confident riding to work then home from work, navigating Lowcountry traffic in all types of weather, and exploring the beautiful landscape of the Lowcountry while on two wheels. Today on a ride to work, I had a moment where I said to myself, “Rolf, you are RIDING A MOTORCYCLE!”. It’s this child like euphoria that makes me want to ride as much as I can. Recently, I started a fitness program to benefit my riding so I can ride longer and feel stronger during rides. I am always looking for ways to improve and push myself while riding. Yet, I know my limits and do my best to ride my ride. This is why I am so happy I started motorcycling in my late 40’s and not in my early 20’s. Honestly, I don’t know if I would be here today if I started my motorcycle career earlier in my life. I am thankful for riding later in life.
And like any new adventure, there have been the ups and downs of learning something new. This I embrace completely. From my first crash, to having to trade in my first bike, this all makes me aware that that motorcycling is a lifetime pursuit. Nothing like a big slice of humble pie to know that the Art of Motorcycling is accepting your failures and learning from them so you can live to ride again. And knowing not to rush yourself when learning to ride a motorcycle is all too important. So much of my life is about getting things done as quickly as possible. Be it work, or things I do outside of work, I tend to rush myself. This is NOT what you want to do on a motorcycle. Instead, I take my time. Either when I put my gear on, to my pre-ride stretching routine, I pause, breathe, and let go of my negativity and embrace the moment. Because what I have learned in motorcycling, is that what is happening in front of you is the most important thing. Not what is behind you.
Another thing to respect while riding a motorcycle is speed. Because speed kills. And speed is one of most preventable things you can do during a motorcycle ride. Now, I can’t say I haven’t raced past the speed limit in my past year of motorcycling. But I highly respect speed. Speed does have it’s benefits though. This is especially important in traffic when you can be stuck in a pack of cars and must roll the throttle to free yourself. Blind spots, unexpected lane changes, are just a few things to note when riding on public roads. Applying speed to the equation will free you from dangerous spots in traffic but the faster you go, the more risk you have. Its a delicate balance. And the various videos I have see of motorcycle crashes where speed was the factor makes me very nervous exceeding the speed limit more than twenty miles per hour. For now, I will be happy just cruising and rolling the throttle at specific moments.
Looking forward, I will be looking to take a long ride on Lucy. Be it a camping trip or a visit to capital of South Carolina, Columbia, I feel the desire to leave the Lowcountry and take a road trip. I will also continue my training program and start riding on the highways before the end of year. One of my biggest fears is riding my motorcycle on the highway. It takes courage and discipline to ride at highway speeds. But I know I can do it. I am excited to see how the Art of Motorcycling progresses into year 2.
Rolf