d. And, no, I didn't drop the bike, crash into any large or even small objects, nor did I run over the instructors. Overall, it went really well. I imagine I made the same mistakes that most beginners make. We rode Honda Nighthawk 250s...and other than the fact that I felt the bike was a smidge too low for me, it was actually really comfy. That being said, I *hated* the motorcycling class. I've pronounced this to several people already and on the ride home from Nashville I evaluated the reason for this dislike. (When questioned by Mike and Jenn as to why I hated the class the best answer I had at the time was that I just simply didn't like it...probably came out more like a whine). But I do have a few legitimate objections.
1. They do in 3 days what could be done in 2, or even a day and a half. I really hate it when something gets stretched out for longer than is necessary. And this weekend really pushed the limits of my patience. For the most part is was divided up fairly equal; half classroom and half riding. The classroom stuff was a joke. They should have an opt-out for that part. Seriously, guys, turn your fancy shmancy textbook into a PDF and email out to the students beforehand and let us take the written exam the minute we walk through the door. BAM! Done. Throw in the hour long safety and instructional video and the course has already lost a day. I'm liking it already.
2. The infamous "box." This was a figure 8 in a confined space which in theory simulated two U-turns. Now, I'm not trying to debunk the value of this exercise. It was tough and one should probably know how to maneuver their motorcycle for slow, sharp turns. What really pissed me off about the box was that it was on the final evaluation. And what really pissed me off even more was that as one of the instructors was dishing out testing scores he says, "Yeah the score on the box is really nothing more than bragging rights." Really? So, I got tested on something that ultimately doesn't matter in the larger scheme of motorcycling. One entire element of testing was taken up by the box, a spot that could have gone to an exercise far more important, say for instance stopping on a curve.
3. It was effin' hot. Yeah, yeah...that's a whine for sure, but that's not really the annoying part. It was hot and in an effort to get the class finished as early as possible our illustrious instructors really short changed us on our much needed breaks. On Saturday, which was cooler and overcast, we got breaks about once every 30-45 minutes. Today, we were lucky to get a break every hour to hour and a half. Ridiculous. I think out of the entire weekend this was the one thing that was the deal breaker for me. By 10am I was dehydrated and had a headache that lasted the remainder of the day. Effers.
Okay, so I've bitched and moaned about the things I didn't like, but there were things I did like. Like, riding the motorcycle! That was the best part...when we weren't doing retarded exercises like the box. But I loved the ones that simulated twisties, swerves, etc. I got in trouble a couple of times for going too fast (heh heh) and I snuck my bike up into 3rd gear a few times. (Interesting side story, the only other person that did this failed the final exam because he dropped his bike). The female instructor was awesome, really encouraging, and a good counter-balance to the very intimidating biker dude instructor. And last, but definitely not least, my classmates were a blast.
Anyway, it's done. Tomorrow I head to the DMV to get my motorcycle endorsement added. After that...well, heck, now I need a motorcycle.
