Monday mornings are my moto practice days in the neighborhood - everyone's at work and the streets are empty. I work on slow speed handling and getting used to signalling. Light rain today but I figured that the bikes would be fine. G has gotten comfortable enough to follow me around on his DR200 and just trails behind me as I go though my drills.
At some point the rain was really coming down and I figured, we should call it a day...nah, one more sweeping cul-de-sac turn, so much fun! I do not know if it was the rain or some other issue but my bike just cut out after the turn and I rolled silently to the right hand side at a stop sign. G pulled up next to me and while I was trying to kick start my bike again (now in pouring rain) a car pulled up behind us wanting to make a right turn and started honking at us to move. We both waved at him to go around us...it's an empty neighborhood intersection. I'm already all the way to the right but I push my bike even more towards the side. G moves in too and continues waving the guy around but he starts yelling at us. He actually gets out of the car and starts yelling at us to get out of the street. The guy is absolutely livid and as G explains that my bike won't start he tells G that HIS bike is still working and needs to be out of the street an on the side walk. This makes no sense to me. He is screaming that he is a detective with the police and starts a heated argument with G. I want them to stop arguing, but the man is just SO unbelievably angry and hateful. I wanted my bike to start so I could tell G, "let's go home" but it would not. Whatever words were exchanged the guy finally drove around us slowly, glaring at me before driving away.
It continued to rain, I ended up pushing my bike home (just a couple of streets away) while G puttered slowly behind me. I was so absolutely miserable after that.
Sometimes I wish I could ride on asphalt like everyone else. Sometimes I'm glad I ride in the dirt.
At some point the rain was really coming down and I figured, we should call it a day...nah, one more sweeping cul-de-sac turn, so much fun! I do not know if it was the rain or some other issue but my bike just cut out after the turn and I rolled silently to the right hand side at a stop sign. G pulled up next to me and while I was trying to kick start my bike again (now in pouring rain) a car pulled up behind us wanting to make a right turn and started honking at us to move. We both waved at him to go around us...it's an empty neighborhood intersection. I'm already all the way to the right but I push my bike even more towards the side. G moves in too and continues waving the guy around but he starts yelling at us. He actually gets out of the car and starts yelling at us to get out of the street. The guy is absolutely livid and as G explains that my bike won't start he tells G that HIS bike is still working and needs to be out of the street an on the side walk. This makes no sense to me. He is screaming that he is a detective with the police and starts a heated argument with G. I want them to stop arguing, but the man is just SO unbelievably angry and hateful. I wanted my bike to start so I could tell G, "let's go home" but it would not. Whatever words were exchanged the guy finally drove around us slowly, glaring at me before driving away.
It continued to rain, I ended up pushing my bike home (just a couple of streets away) while G puttered slowly behind me. I was so absolutely miserable after that.
Sometimes I wish I could ride on asphalt like everyone else. Sometimes I'm glad I ride in the dirt.