The autistic joys of motorcycling

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Just some thoughts that popped into my head about this while out burning up some 94 octane with nowhere in particular to go:

Motorcycling is a bit of an ideal pastime for us on the spectrum, IMO. Well, those of us with minimal or manageable dyspraxia seeing as it most certainly requires good balance, coordination, and fine motor skills. (Although much of this can be mitigated by technology - automatic transmissions etc.)

Obvs it’s rather fun to do.. and can be quite thrilling - nothing quite like accelerating onto a highway! And it has a beer perfect balance of being a solo activity As Well As feeling connected to others in a sort of automatic fraternity of 2 wheeled risk takers. I’ve never had a passenger (not licensed to yet) so clearly it’s a solo thing and obviously you want everyone and everything not to touch you - lol especially cars and trucks! But even when I’m out riding by myself and not with my dad or a group at all, there’s still this super cool sense of comradery between motorcyclists on the road.. almost always we give each other this downward pointing 2 fingered salute with our left hands (signifying keeping 2 wheels on the road & having a safe ride) and other times when you can’t move your clutch hand it’s just a glance and a nod with a mutual understanding that we’re all united in both our fun and enjoyment as well as the fact that we’re literally putting our bodies on the line, right in the line of fire like a soldier on the frontlines, and making all the right moves to navigate traffic & other hazards to arrive alive.

Plus there’s definitely a sense of accomplishment in even being able to operate the thing smoothly - which is becoming second nature to me now.. just a slight subtle flick of the wrist or finger movement makes all the difference in the world. Motorcycle clutches are hella sensitive and take some effort to master initially. We’re taught that there are 3 positions to hold a clutch in - A, B, and C - and the difference in position of the lever from one to the next is ~approx a playing card thickness. Touchy machines, indeed! Annnnnd we were Also told that motorcycles are the 2nd most complex machine in existence for a human to operate - as they require both hands and feet to all work in coordination together to make them go like they’re supposed to. 2nd only to a helicopter that requires even more intricate 4 limbed coordination. So, even just being able to “pilot,” one of these road flyers is a neat feeling and I certainly have a newfound respect for all motorcyclists - even the ones I think are otherwise dumber than a sac of rocks.

Annnnnyways, just thought I’d share my ramblings. Time to go gear up and ride to meet someone to help load and unload a van a couple times - not raining so why be a cager on a dry day like today??

Bueller? Bueller? :p

Talking to myself, I guess. Not like that isn’t autistic so whatevs.

Rode another ~175km the last couple days - soooo much fun just ripping down the highway feeling very focused and present & in control.

I think the next addition is gonna be to get my dad and I a pair of the same Cardo radios my brother and his wife have - able to talk to each other/the group, use voice activated gps, answer phone calls (boo!) And listen to FM radio. (yay! ) Hmmm, maybe for Christmas - I really should wait at least until I get paid a bunch of $ I’m owed before I buy anything like this.

I had a whole group of friends in my 20's who were taking their bikes out a few times a week, it was the 1000 cc crowd who tore on anyone who had 'chicken strips' on the sides of their tires - I debated getting a bike but it seemed like it was something I didn't have enough of an excuse for aside from driving for its own sake - and at the time my mind was on making beats primarily.

I hear Aaron Clarey (A***ole Consulting) talk about it regularly, it seems thankfully like there's a wide variety now between Harley's and crotch-rockets that are not quite either or or make for good cruisers, I can appreciate how going on a ride around the state with good weather would be enjoyable but actually getting a bike for that reason still isn't high enough on my own priority list. It's a bit like how my friends these days chase me around to get my concealed carry and I remind them - when I do break out the guns I have I regularly forget how to disassemble and clean them, it's that rare that I actually use them even for plinking.

“Chicken strips” ?

No 1000cc for me at this time - first bike. 1993 BMW K75. (750cc 505/536lb dry/wet 75hp) I think both my brothers bikes are 1500cc - my dad’s trike, too. Only one Harley in the mix and no crotch rockets. (2 Honda’s 1 Harley 1 Ducati 1 Can-am 2 BMW’s) 5 of us now, and soon to be another 3-4 joining us maybe next Summer if they book their riding lessons. Would be cool if even more did.

Was never high on my or my twin brothers priority list At All, But a couple years ago our father said he wants to ride and take road trips, sooo, we all shifted time and money around to get into it. His cancer is terminal, but he has longer than One Week, they said 5-10 years a couple years ago sooo should be time to take more than just day trips.

So far our longest ride has been 675km through the mountains in a day. My older brother’s coworkers are planning a 5 day ride next July/August on The Sunshine Coast called “The Long Way Around,” (I’ve never been - scenery should be s p e c t a c u l a r) and we’re all going to go with them. It includes a 20 hour ferry ride to get there, which is kind of pricey at $350 for bike & rider, but whatever - should be worth it.

Sturgis would be the ultimate road trip ride.. but obvs that’s not in the cards with a raging pandemic and the border closed. Science will have to prevail before we can consider that.

In sport bike rider parlance if the sides of your tires looked brand new it means you weren't taking your corners aggressively - hence being a 'chicken'.

Aaah. My tires Are brand new and they still have the rubber bits on the sides.. I don’t lean over very much yet - gradually a bit more each ride out. But I think it Might be impossible to rub the last ones off - I think my saddle bags would be grinding on the road if I leaned over that hard!