Vrooom!

Small bikes are great. They are light and agile and force the rider to make the most of their capabilities, but big bikes have their own unique charm as well.

In a recent entry, I praised the virtues of riding slow and enjoying the countryside. While this is very true, I am very pleased to note that I have two bikes, which allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Spring is here in full force, and with it comes fantastic riding opportunities. Both my scooter and my motorcycle open up different riding options. As I become more comfortable on the Saber, I find that running it through its gears and taking it around corners and over hills and such is exhilarating. It is capable of greater speed and acceleration than my scooter could ever attain, and while it does not handle nearly as nimbly, it offers other benefits.

One such benefit is the ability to easily carry a passenger. While the scoot has passenger pegs and space on the seat for a passenger, it really isn't designed to carry two adults, at least not American adults (yeah, we tend to be a bit on the heavy side). Today; however, I was able to finally convince my wife to ride with me. Admittedly, we only went around the block, but she actually admitted to enjoying the ride. It was a bit different for me, since I have never ridden with an adult passenger, but she did well with remaining still so as not to offset the balance of the bike, and the ride went without a hitch.

I hope that in time she will become more comfortable with the idea of riding, but we have made a start. Up until now, she was terrified of getting on a motorcycle at all. Now that she has ridden once, she is willing to try again in the future.

I'm hopeful that in time, she will become comfortable enough with riding that she will be able to ride along on her own motorbike or scooter, rather than on the same bike with me. Certainly, having her ride with me was fantastic, but having her ride alongside on a second bike, would be a blast.