2 Wheeled Observations...

Some of you have learned that I gained another "toy" as of November of this year. This new toy has put a permanent smile on my face since taking the roadways by storm. But since I'm new at riding motorcycles, there are several things I hadn't known heretofore. Here is what I've learned thus far:

-Dead animals near or on the road can be smelled long before you actually see them.

-The tiniest wet spot in the road, is enough to make me clinch/flinch.

-A locomotive's horn is at least 50 times louder when riding a motorcycle!

-Small animals crossing the road look like large accidents waiting to happen.

-70MPH on a bike feels like 120+ in a car- I think...

-The camaraderie displayed by other riders in your vicinity is definitely palpable.

-Car exhaust can travel straight to one's nostrils even when 25 feet away-yuck!

-Feeling a surge of horsepower between your legs as you throttle down is addicting.

-Watching others crane their necks to play "What's-that-bike?" is grand satisfaction.

-The smallest collection of pebbles strewn on the road at a turn is cause for a deep breath.

-Successfully negotiating a busy intersection for the first time is akin to Napoleonic confidence.

-Road temperature drops a good 10 degrees when riding in the shade on a sunny day.

-A certain redhead riding tandem easily triples the double-takes of those looking my way.

-Pulling off the perfect "figure 8" in first gear without planting feet is nirvana.