Motorcycle, finally!

I’ve counted it out: 97 days.  My motorcycle has been in the country for 97 days, sitting in the garage space in front of the Hyundai, collecting dust and not going any where. 

Then, on Wednesday 18 January 2012, after roughly seven months of not riding my motorcycle, I proceeded to give myself a cramp in my clutch hand by driving through the CBD to get to Vic Roads for our 8.30a appointment.  While Ruthie was actually more optimistic than me, giving us a 50% chance of the Aero finally getting registration and legally allowed to operate on the road, I had the sweaty palms reminiscent of college exams.  My main concern was that the guy who gave my bike a once over was a, going to have super hearing and able to detect as I brought the machine in that the pipes were too loud or b, ask me to turn the motorcycle on and rev the engine.  Mostly I think I was nervous because I didn’t want to get the mechanic who gave us the RWC in trouble.  Fortunately neither happened.  The guy only needed to visually confirm that the VIN and the engine number matched all the numerous documents that he had been given stating that’s what they were.  Then there were two phone calls that I couldn’t quite overhear from where I was sitting.  Then there were a couple more forms to fill out.  Then there I was handing over my credit card and he was handing me a license plate.  Huzzah! 

So, I finally am able to legally operate my motorcycle in this country.  I am very excites.  I took the motorcycle to work that day, and I put Ruthie on the back for a ride down the beach on the following Sunday.  We plan to keep riding it on good weather weekends.  I think this works out well with our goal to get out and act the tourists again.  We definitely have to work our way up into the longer rides again since neither one of us has ridden for very long in a long time [and Ruthie was a bit saddle sore after the first Sunday ride], but hopefully with all this crazy Melbourne weather, we’ll actually have another couple months to ride still.

-EP 

PS.  I penned this about a week and a half ago.  Since then, I've taken the motorcycle to work a time or two, and yesterday Ruthie and I took the motorcycle out to the movies.  Despite the sweating while riding due to the intense heat of this country, it's been good times with more ahead.