Written by Atiq
As motorcycle riders, we’ve all started somewhere at some point. We’ve all experienced the adrenaline rush, the energy, the excitement – the moment at which you can feel your heart pumping out to the brink of an explosion! All of this… when you first set sight on the first-ever motorcycle that you’re going to saddle and conquer. Yes, even before you get your feet off of the ground.
This is my origin story about turning into the free-spirited rebel that I’ve always dreamt of becoming. If you’ve been through the journey, then sit back reminisce. If you’re starting out on your own fresh journey then I hope this can be a source of inspiration. Either way, read on!
Background
One of my first experiences on a motorcycle was when I was on vacation back home as a child riding pillion with my uncle going from town to town, cutting through traffic, parking anywhere and everywhere. That felt like freedom.
When he would stop to talk to his friend, whom he’d met on the way, he would put his foot down with the engine running, frequently blipping the throttle like he’s ready to launch at any second. That felt badass.
I knew then, I wanted to become a rider some day. But at the time my feet would dangle in the air when I sat on the parked motorcycle, while no one was around, pretending I was cruising around town. I knew I had to wait until I could at least tip toe. Obviously I couldn’t wait! I was desperate enough to try something… I took the motorcycle off its kickstand, rocking the motorcycle (which then felt like a heavy truck) from left to right balancing myself, and fighting hard against gravity. And boy did gravity win. When momentum took over, me and the bike were both on the ground. That drop ended my dreams.
Until one day, when I realized that I had grown over 6ft tall by some miracle and that I could comfortably flat foot any bike on the planet! Now I was ready, I was truly ready. The next step would be to (A) convince my parents and (B) actually learn how to ride a motorcycle. The first part took another 10 years to accomplish, and the next had its own hurdles.
Groundwork
I’ve spent all my life in the UAE where motorcycling is almost a taboo topic, predominantly owing to the extreme weather. But whenever I brought up the topic with absolutely anyone, the blatant response would annoyingly be: “Why? Do you want to become a delivery boy?” (massive respect going out to all the delivery riders who ride all the way through summers and winters inspiring us all!). And as such, with no access to a motorcycle or someone who actually rides, I had to turn to the universal gurus: Google and YouTube.
With enough dedication and research, I had managed to learn everything there was to learn about motorcycles - well not everything, but there’s only so much the internet could teach a noob! I learned anatomy of a motorcycle and the basic principles of riding but things got scary watching crash compilations. Fortunately, I had made a friend who was even more enthusiastic about motorcycles than me, and we would discuss these crashes and the things one should and shouldn’t do when riding in order to avoid such incidents. We were both dreamers, and there was hope!
Training
And so begins the next phase - RIDING. I went through the standard licensing procedure and got my learning permit that said “ دراجة نارية“. I was on cloud 9 and couldn’t wait to get on a motorcycle. I took the earliest available dates to get over with the academic part of the training and moved on to practical training. I showed up at the training center, patiently waiting. I was asked by the instructor to wait outside where the cones were placed. While waiting, I could hear a mighty 150cc motorcycle engine that got louder as it came closer and when it finally came into view, my heart skipped a beat and all I could see and hear was that motorcycle. I couldn’t believe my dreams were coming true. This was the moment I had been waiting for my entire life and I was proud of the fact that I was doing it right. I was officially going to begin training.
When the instructor got off the motorcycle and we got the introductions out of the way, he asked me: “Have you ridden a motorcycle before?”. He was expecting the obvious “YES!”, but was stunned when I told him I had never ridden one before. And then there were some follow up questions after which he was certain that I was a certified noob. I started to feel as though I was the first person ever to show up at the training center, who was there to actually learn how to ride a bike rather than simply to practice for the cone test.
Nevertheless, he had a strategy. He asked me to ride in a straight line and make a wide U-turn and instructed me to keep doing so for the rest of the course. He showed me what’s what on the motorcycle and asked me to hop on, and so I did because obviously I was ready! It all felt so familiar yet so new. All of my countless hours of YouTube training went out the window. This was the real deal and I could hear my heart pounding.
I knew the concept of clutch control: friction zone and bite point. I pulled in the clutch with all my life and held it there. And as I was about to press the ignition, the instructor said: “Stop! Use the kick start”. Kick start? Are you kidding me? I wasn’t ready for that! It was tricky as I had to hold in the clutch, balance the motorcycle and jump on the kick start all at the same time. My first feeble attempt was a failure, so was my second and the third. The instructor told me to really yank it! I did, and the engine was brought back to life! NOW I was gonna start riding.
I slowly started releasing the clutch lever in anticipation, expecting the bike to start creeping forward, at which point I was prepared to twist the throttle, and suddenly there was a jerk and dead silence - an utter ‘facepalm’ moment. I had to do it all over again, multiple times, until I got the hang of it. But once you get going, you really get going and its smooth sailing then on.
Purchasing my first motorcycle
Fast forward to a few months later, I now have my license but no bike to ride. The only experiences I’ve had so far were on 150 cc training motorcycles. By now I had friends who had bought 600 cc and 1000 cc supersports but I didn’t dare to ride them as the internet had me scarred for life. Since we were in the middle of February and riding season was soon coming to an end, I had to get my own motorcycle ASAP. But as it is typical, the good ones, that are fairly priced, get snatched up overnight. I was on the hunt. I was looking for any type of motorcycle that the internet recommended for beginners: small displacement, single cylinders, parallel twins, or V-twins. I was running out of time and luck. I was looking at cruisers, naked bikes, street bikes, anything really that wasn’t a supersport and fit my budget. I set my eyes on a beautiful low mileage Suzuki SV650, started looking up reviews, reading blogs, and watching endless hours of YouTube videos raving about what an amazing bike it is for beginners and experienced riders alike. The hype was surreal, got me excited, got me dreaming of riding it all across the Emirates. However, that too was gone in the blink of an eye.
Just as I was about to give up hope, I randomly opened Dubizzle one night before bed, and I came across a recently posted SV1000. The big brother of the SV650, a thousand cc V-twin - a litre bike! Not knowing much about it, I looked it up, and then it was a whole different story. It was a torque monster. I couldn’t figure out if it was even the right choice for me. But the price was so tempting, I decided to give it a shot. I called up the owner and we arranged a viewing. I fell in love the moment I heard the dual exhaust of the V-twin, and from that moment on, it was all I wanted to have! Nonetheless, I was still terrified so I got my experienced friend to check it out. He pointed out the obvious cosmetic flaws and the work that needed to be done, but I disregarded most of them saying: “It adds character”. And boy what a character it was.
Long story short, after a few days of consideration, I purchased it and was absolutely thrilled, it was mine, I owned it, yet I hadn’t even sat on it! I was terrified after I had heard how torquey it was. I got my friend to ride it home for me and it sat there parked… waiting for its new owner to show it some love. After about a week, I realized I was being ridiculous. I had been waiting all my life for this and then I was too scared to ride it? Pfft. The decision was made, and the thrill and excitement of riding a bike for the first time ever - all came back.
Summary
The first new experiences in life are always the most vivid. And riding a motorcycle for the first time ever is no different. However, what is different, is that you get the same level of excitement and adrenaline rush every time you ride a different bike that is unfamiliar to you. They are all so different, have their own character and charm, it’s like falling in love all over again. That’s whats so great about motorcycles. And I suppose I have to agree with the slogan “2 wheels move the soul” because they do.
That was my story, the beginning. I’m still a freshie and hope to have a long journey ahead, continually evolving, learning, and experiencing new things in the world of motorcycles.
