I RODE A MOTORCYCLE!

[Ayen]

It was a three-wheeler my dad bought a couple of weeks back. He had a seat added to the back so the rider would have a place to lean. I held onto the handles and braced myself. It was my first time ever riding a motorcycle and it was incredible! Didn't care for those turns, though. I had no idea I was supposed to lean the way he was turning so I kept leaning the opposite direction because I was afraid of falling off. The wind was nice, but super strong! I managed to give myself a cramp when he was riding around the parking lot of the barber shop. I have two questions!

1.) First time riding a motorcycle?
2.) Last time you did something new and exciting?

Discuss.

[Spooniest]

I got thrown by a horse once when I was 11. I guess the horse didn't like me or something. I was taking too long getting off after my ride.

[Sephex]

If a parrot swallowed my Jerry Lewis cuff links, I wouldn't think twice about digging the bird up.

Spambot of the decade. Can we PLEASE keep this one?

EDIT: I can't stop laughing.

EDIT 2: NOOOOOOO!! YOU KILLED HIM!!!

[Bubba]

Greatest bot quote of all time.

Never ridden a motorcycle. I can imagine it being quite exhilarating but it's far too dangerous. No protection at all from the huge, metal cars. That's why I stopped cycling to work.

[Shorty]

On my date's motorcycle several years ago before we said goodnight. Typical Nicolas Sparks stuff.

In February when I quit my job and moved states without having anything lined up, probably.

[Shiny]

Jerry Lewis cuff links.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Motorcycles are great!

Tori picked up on one of the most important things new riders can keep in mind.

If you're on the back, don't lean against the turn, lean into the turn. Bikes use centrifugal force to travel upright and to not fall over in corners. The idea is demonstrated here, and then it's also demonstrated here. Totally cool.

It also helps use that momentum/force to travel through the corners. Since the gyroscopic effect makes the spinning wheels want to stay upright, changing the angle of that momentum carries you in the direction of the angle. Angular momentum is just a manifestation of linear momentum.

This is balanced against the centripetal force of the tires helping the bike maintain that curved path against the centrifugal force trying to pull the bike straight.

Also, try your best not to focus on one point in the road while in the turn. Your eyes will follow it, which means as you get closer you'll lean further over. Eventually, you've leaned too far over, also throwing off the balance of the bike.

It's much more simple than it sounds, and a rider should/usually will give a quick run down of what to do if you've never been on a bike before.

Basically just relax, don't find leaning into the corners because you won't fall over, and look through the corners. Then enjoy the ride.

[noxious.sunshine]

Yeah. THe whole leaning thing holds true for riding on jet skis as well. It used to drive me insane when someone would ride with me on mine and couldn't understand the concept of leaning with the turn. I miss my jet ski though. <3 It owned. My dad bought it for me when I was 13 after I broke my wrist. And I rode it with my broken wrist. My dad just taped bread bags over my cast so it wouldn't get wet. He says I made him super nervous riding it tho 'cuz he saw how wild I was with it one day. hehe.

ANYWHO... The first time I ever rode a motorcycle was probably when I was like.. Oh idk. 6? 7? When my brother got his Yamaha crotch rocket. But before that, we had a 4 wheeler my brother would take me for rides on all the time. When I was 3, I -really- wanted to go and I was sitting on it with the engine running while my brother talked to one of his friends (he previously thought it'd be cool to show me where the throttle was).. I gunned that trout and took off. My brother barely managed to get on and I ended up in the woods in our backyard and flipped it. My mom was so mad.

I also used to sit in the floorboard of my sister's pink scooter and ride with her to the pool she lifeguarded at when I was small.

My brother and I used to take his motorcycle up in the mountains near our house and go swimming in all the little swimming holes. One time we tipped over in a huge mud puddle and came home covered in mud. My mom was furious and made us stand outside while she hosed us off.

Yeah. I'm not entirely sure what my parents were thinking allowing any of this to happen.

Last time I did something new? I have no idea. I really wanna go white water rafting on the Ocoee someday tho <3

[Ayen]

Every time I started to enjoy the ride we hit a bump.

I think the road dislikes me.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Pretend it's a roller coaster!

[Pumpkin]

I've never ridden a motorcycle, although I imagine that will change when sharky gets his fixed.

I'm going to take a martial arts class tonight, which is exciting. I guess it's not new, but it has been almost 10 years since I took one last, so there you are!

[sharkythesharkdogg]

The class will feel new, but it will also be a chance for my joints to tell me that they're old.

[Ayen]

Pretend it's a roller coaster!

Roller coasters terrify me.