The First Ride on a big Bike

Riding a big Bike.

I has a 2000 Polaris Victory cruiser.

It rocked.

When I was working the bay area , I made the decision that I could no longer drive my 64 Lincoln Continental to Pleasanton California from from Fremont Daily...I Just felt it was not fair to my Lincoln to put it thru all that work.

It enjoyed the taste of gas the way I enjoy sopes and burritos....way too much...after trying to start my Vespa (that is sitting at my mom's to this day) and not being able to.

I made the decision that it was time to get something ....a little bigger.....

I rode a Vespa for many year so figured that it would not be difficult at all.....

I tried to buy a Harley but after being told that I had to be put on a waiting list for a really long time....I was like f.... Harley let's see what else it out there....

My scooter was a 200e so had a big engine so I was able to drive a big bike and did not have to thru the hassles of training or anything else like that.

I went to Arlen Ness Motorcycles in San Leandro California and looked at the bikes....they were awesome...along with some choppers and other stuff that I could never afford was my bike....on sale for like 9k or 10k I can't remember the exact price.

After visiting with Yamaha and Honda and other companies I made the decision that this was the best deal for the money and it had a huge engine and the stance that I liked....looked chopped but was not....

So I talked my Credit union into giving me a loan and there I went with check in hand to get the bike....

My Friend Antonio and Marlon drove me there on one of our Friday Half Days and in I went to buy my bike...after some negotiation the bike was mine....

Silver and Black.....Chrome everywhere.....New had like 2 miles on it.

I got the keys to my bike and as I was getting ready to leave the Sales guy asked me if I had my Helmet? I was so excited that I forgot to bring my helmet from home with me and bought the cheapest helmet that they had.....ugliest helmet ever.

So , The Salesguy asked me if I had ever ridden a bike this big before and I say no....He showed me the controls and wished me luck.

I planned out my route home from Arlen Ness the night before and figured I would be fine ....I had never driven a bike like this before....Vespas have a gear shifter in the Left wrist...for when you put the clutch in....lever on the left...then you twist it to put it into gear....then you use the right wrist for gas and your front brake...the back brake is on a pedal on the floorboard....

This bike I just bought had ....the shifter in the right footboard....gas in the right wrist and brakes in the left and right levers...it had a toe and heel shifter (Right foot board)...

It was a completely different type of machine...I figured I would have not problem the weeks before I bought the bike and not knowing anyone that had a big bike , I had no one to tell me otherwise...

I remember looking up how to drive a big bike online and was not able to get a really good answer..

So there I was , Huge beast of a bike in the middle of San Leandro, with my maps to get to my house...

I put the bike in gear with the clutch on and tested the gas and engage to see how far I could go with the clutch and gas before stalling and off I went....

I was so freaked out , I don't even know how I got to the gas station...but I did.

At the gas station I remember thinking about how stupid I was and how I was going to kill myself and how my girlfriend was going to be so pissed if I told her I did not want the bike anymore because it was so difficult to ride.....

All of this While I was trying to fill up the gas.....gas started pouring on my new bike and all I could think is that it was not a good sign.

I made the decision to just stop there until my nerves were better because I knew that if I drove that way I was going crash into someone or make someone crash into me....

After about 10 minutes of just standing there with the bike on....I decided it was time to go.

I got on my bike and rode home....no more problems...I just remember how more powerfull the bike was than my scooter and how much heavier it was and how there was no way that I could hold it.....but I did.....I remember going into a Honda dealer and having the guy grill me with questions about what I rode before and how I should get a small beginner bike....

And that kept me going....I could not prove that a hole sales guy right....I made it home....

Drove into our parking spot at the apartments we were living in at the time ....took my left foot....pulled out the kickstand..leaned the bike and blam....the bike fell....I tried to hold it up but the weight of it and the sweat from the ride on my hands and my nerves made the bike slip out my hands.

I picked the bike back up and assesed the damage...broke the left floorboard...I was so upset but happy I made it home....

After that I made it a point to get the right gear for my bike and check the kickstand to make sure it was fully extended before I leaned the bike...I guess it was not like my Vespa after all.

I rode it for many years until my back started giving me problems...but don't regret ever buying it....no matter how many times my girlfriend made fun of me when I rode it in the rain....always telling me I should of bought a car instead.

I was not a biker guy, just seemed weird to me....I rode my bike the way I rode my scooter....huevos on....no band aid.....I did not want to be like the many riders I saw on the road.....

EvilChavo Out.