Sunday, August 11, 2024

I Highly Recommend Levi's 501 Jeans ...

... if you anticipate the possibility that you just might go down while riding a motorcycle.

So, I had my first motorcycle wipeout today, at probably 15 mph, for the obvious and stupidest of reasons -- I applied the brakes when the front wheel wasn't straight.

The good old 501s took a tear near the knee, but underneath them I got only the very mildest abrasion.

Slightly worse abrasion on my left arm near the elbow, even there was no visible tear in the light long-sleeve Walmart Grateful Dead t-shirt I was wearing.

Oh, and I passed the test, graduated the Motorcycle Safety Foundation approved Basic Rider Course, and will be licensed to ride a motorcycle once I make it over to DMV, show them my course card, and fork over some more money.

I highly recommend the Gainesville Motorcycle Safety Training School. The particular instructors I had, Brian and Jayson, were quite good at explaining what to do and how to do it, and they were also friendly and understanding. The most frequent admonition that I received or heard someone else receive to be honest, was "relax, you've got this," but they were also very clear with explanations of what someone had done incorrectly to result in a poor outcome (I was one of two people who laid a bike down during the course, but also stalls, shifting problems, etc. -- every problem someone had, they got a clear explanation of what to do about it).

So, the next steps are paying the license endorsement fee and getting a bike. This, as usual, is a developing story.

Graduate with scooter (and torn 501s), demonstrating why something larger is a good idea:



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