my new bike!

WOOHOO

So I picked up my new bike this afternoon - a BMW F650 GS. It is beautiful, and all shiny and new.

Since I am used to riding a scooter, and have only once ridden a bike with gears for about 5 minutes, I knew it was going to be a challenge getting used to the whole thing of pulling off, changing gears, operating the back break with my foot, and so on - not to mention the fact that it is about 1- times as heavy and twice as tall as my scooter was.

After stalling about 7 times , I finally managed to get the pull off going, and then a car drove in front of me out of nowhere (yes I know it was my fault for not looking) and I stalled. I was leaning a bit too much to the right, and was not able to hold the bike up for more than a few seconds as it was just past the point fo balance and my leg was at the wrong angle. Boom. I dropped the bike, but luckily not from too high.

Then I tried the walking backwards trick to pick up the bike, but by this stage my nerves are shot and I am sweating like a mine worker in my full gear, and my strentgh seems to have desrted me, so I can't pick it up. Not no how. Thankfully a helpful security guard who had been watching and laughing at me (good naturedly) came and helped me.

So I have already got a scratch on my bike, and the process has begun. Sigh.

I then decided to just take the bike out on the road and practise more and get comfortable with the feeling of hte bike, and rodea few round trips of Midrand.

I must say - she rides like a dream, and accelerates WAY better than my scoot.

I hope to ride again tomorrow all over the show, and go visit some friends who live as far away as possible. :)

Stay tuned for the next episode, and possibly some gear testing if I fall off... D'oh!