Dream Adventure 2015: Part 3 of 3

  

*Unveiling my custom riding kit for the first time in this picture (haters start hating now).

The Dream Bike:

My specific bike criteria narrowed my search for me, but there were numerous dealerships in Idaho, Montana, and Washington which carried the potential bikes I wanted.  I visited most of these shops, I had bargaining power in the fact that I knew mostly what I wanted, and I could find that bike in a variety of places.  

 

What it came down to for me were two things that I always consider when purchasing:

1. I had to like the sales person and the shop. They had to treat me respectfully and I had to have a good gut feeling about the person helping me.

2. I would negotiate and get the best price.

 

I met probably and dozen sales people at various dealerships and some I didn't care.  For example, one of the shops said, "We can't let you ride the bike before you buy it, but you can watch our sales person ride it."  That was one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. "Thanks, but no thanks." 

 

Some of the shops really stood out, and I am impressed by the sales and tech staffs of some of them, including Boise, Missoula, and Moses lake who were very helpful and patient.  Ultimately I purchased from Dan at the Kawasaki dealership in Moses Lake, WA and I could not be more impressed by their dealership or Dan as a person. I spent a ton of time with him on the phone and he was incredibly helpful.  Every time I was in the shop they treated me like I was the coolest kid in school and that makes a person feel good. I am impressed by them, beyond words. 

 

*Dan from Moses Lake Kawasaki. I am so impressed by him. He is a genuinely nice person and he worked magic to get my dream bike (which was practically impossible) at the best price in the NW.

 

*Also impressed by my friend, Trennon, who was very patient and helpful in showing me bikes.

 

 

*Trennon, such a nice guy.

The Bikes:

 My "Kawaski" and "Kawi Green" criteria narrowed my search to a handful of bikes, all of which were awesome machines.

 

*Kawasaki Ninja 650R. 

 

*2014 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R Non-ABS. 

*2015 Ninja 300 SE.

*2014 Ninja ZX-6R ABS white with green accents (looks pretty incredible with my kit).

 

But, there was one bike that stood above everything, and I knew it was meant to be. 

 

And the winner is... 

Just look at the beauty of the green and white together...

 

*2015 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R ABS 30th anniversary edition (if awesome and incredible had a child, this bike would be it).

 



 *My destiny decided for me; brand new 2015 Ninja ZX-6R 30th anniversary edition, hands down.

 

All the bikes were awesome. The 650R was nice, but it's a v-twin and it wasn't right enough for me.  The Ninja 300 was a good bike, but it wasn't mind blowing to ride because the engine displacement is too small. The 2014 ZX-6R in green didn't have anti-lock brakes and had too much black. The white version was sick, but it had 3,000 miles on it. I didn't want a white Ninja, even if it looked amazing with my kit, because it didn't "feel" right in my gut without more green, and I didn't want some other man to have twisted the throttle on my dream bike. Not gonna' happen. Plus, nothing compared to the special edition white and slime green.

 

The first time I saw the my 2015 ZX-6R in person it was love at first sight, it made me melt. It was special edition slime green and white, my two favorite colors, and it was the 30th anniversary edition of the Kawasaki Ninja which coincided perfectly with my 30th birthday this year. I knew 100 percent that my destiny was speaking to me.

 

My dream color scheme that matched the kit I visualized, designed, and customized without seeing the bike in real life?!?!?

The 30th anniversary edition of the Ninja for my 30th birthday?!?!?

 

I wish all decisions were this easy.  The bike was hard to get given the special edition, ultimately Dan came through for me and some how managed to get one, but it took a lot of work and time. My first ride on it was indescribable, I was able to negotiate an incredible price for it, and it worked out perfectly. I am so happy! 

 

*Dan and I un-crating and working on it. They just let me come into the shop and work on it and help them...that is awesome.

 

*Final inspection. When I received the bike it had exactly 1 mile on it.

 

*The day I loaded it up was a gorgeous sunny day, one of the most memorable days of my life.

*I felt like such a badass with a Ninja and a truck! lol

 

*Yeeeeaaaaahhh boooooyyyy!!!!

This bike is the most incredible machine I have ever seen.  The acceleration, handling, and braking cannot even be described in words, you need to feel it. I have so much respect for this bike because it is in a word, "insane."  It is a fuel injected, six speed,  4-cylinder 636cc engine with over 100 horse power. It weighs about 450 pounds and will do 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds.... that is staggering. 

If you were to try to find a sports car that would accelerate 0 to 60 in 3 seconds you would need a Bugatti, Lamborghini, or some other car that would easily go for $250,000+.  The engine it self maxes at 18,000 rpm which means the engine turns over 300 times per second at its max...nuts. The top speed of the bike is just under 200 miles per hour (not that I need or will ever see that speed). It is equipped with dual disc anti lock brakes, traction control, and gets about 50 mile per gallon fuel economy.

You can see why this bike commands respect and why people get themselves into trouble with them.  If you knock the mirrors and lights off it is a Moto GP race bike.  I don't have a death wish, and I don't ride it dangerously or at excessive speed.  With my experience on bicycles I have a tremendous amount of awareness for traffic patterns, balance, and riding in general.  I am not scared of this bike and it feels effortless to ride, like I said it is life changing.  But, I have a healthy dose of respect for it and I am careful.

It is so insane that I have yet to even give it more than half throttle twist because there is no need for it, even in first gear it'll do 80 miles an hour. The pleasure I derive from it is the cornering and cruising, not the speed. You can put this thing in a corner, lean it over, and it sticks like glue. It is incredible to ride. Oh, and talk about a passing gear, forget about it, this thing can get up and go better than anything I've ever ridden. It is so smooth and so stable, combine that with its quick acceleration and power and you can effortlessly put this bike anywhere you need it to go in traffic or passing.   

 

The motorcycles used in the TV show were Kawasaki KZ1000 which were 4-cylinder, 88 horse power bikes, weighed about 600 pounds, and in their day were among the fasts production bikes made maxing at nearly 130 mph. They hardly compare to the bike I purchased 30 years later, though.

 

*Still one of the coolest things ever.  

 

Since buying my motorcycle a few people  think I am stupid for getting it and think I will crash or whatever. Those people don't know me, they don't get it. You either love life on two wheels or you don't.  The people who know me should have no doubt that I know what I am doing and that my good decisions show a track record of doing the right thing. I knew this was the right thing for me and that I can handle the responsibility of a motorcycle. I know what is right for me, the vast majority of my friends supported me, but I still wanted to convince my parent's because I don't want them to worry.

 

I honestly expected my mom to cry when she found out.  I kept my dream adventure a secret until I rode my bike to their house and walked in the house in my full kit. My parents were great, they weren't sad at all. They knew it was me when they heard a bike coming up the hill, and my mom was impressed with the bike.  My parents know I do what is right and they weren't worried at all. It is probably similar to what my mom does with her horses.  It was a big relief.

 



 

I 've done a lot of things to prepare and be safe. I don't break the rules of the road, I took the safety course and class, and I don't usually talk money about my things, but my motorcycle safety gear is about $2,000 of the best safety equipment you can buy.  Besides being aesthetically pleasing, it is equipped with head to toe body armor, and zips up to interconnect in a Moto GP worthy leather race suit. 

 

The safety gear weighs about 20 pounds and is worth its weight in gold. I have seen people on youtube hit the pavement at 70 miles and hour and come up without a scratch because the suit and gear are that important. In my opinion, $2,000 was the best money I ever spent. Lastly, my coordination, bike handling skills from racing, and my general self awareness and intuition for things happening around me reinforce that this is right. I have respect and I am careful, but I am not scared at all.

 

  

I waited until winter to write this post because it needed time to set in. I made it all through the spring, summer, and fall without any problems. I cruised around town and I went on trips.  I have been immersed in the motorcycle world and it is great.  It started with the motorcycle class and continues every time I ride.  I was surprised because motorcycle riders are a big family and I was accepted right into it.  I am a pretty boy, triathlete, and I am accepted right in for no other reason than motorcycle people stick together. It doesn't matter how old or what you ride, everyone is just really cool and cordial. It is nice to be part of. 

 

People always want to talk about bikes and I am always getting compliments from people about my bike and kit. People are always looking at my bike when it's parked outside and ask me questions about it. They tell me stories about their bike. I always wave at other riders and even the most rugged of biker gangs usually wave back.  Everyone loves bikes, and you're appreciated just for the fact that you ride.  Kids wave and stare, and I always try to wave back at them because when I was that age people who rode motorcycles were heroes in a kid's eyes. 

 

I laugh because at stop lights I've had even the most thug life bros give me a thumbs up or roll down their window to say something. It's a tremendous amount of street-cred that I have no idea why a pretty boy like me would have. It's really awesome actually because I get the change to meet and talk to people I wouldn't usually have the opportunity to.  I think if everyone rode a motorcycle this world would be a better place.   

 

This was a dream adventure a year in process, and I so happy with the way it turned out. It is so enjoyable to ride a motorcycle. I don't like to put miles on my vehicles, but I love to ride and having this bike gets me out. It's great for buzzing around town or getting out in the beauty of the sun and summer and I don't care about the miles at all, it was meant to be ridden.  It took 25 years to realize this dream and to say I got a dream that is my oldest memory in the way I did is incredibly satisfying.

 

Thanks for reading.   

 

 

 

Dream Adventure 2015: Part 2 of 3

 

No turning back now:

In January I started watching youtube and talking to my motorcycle people who I encountered. I watched hours of youtube about bikes, people riding bikes, people getting pulled over, people crashing, people having fun, and people talking about different bikes and sizes.

 

After learning about bikes for a month and watching youtube I knew what kind of bike I wanted and my criteria made my search fairly simple.  

1. I knew that I wanted a Kawasaki Ninja because Kawasaki is the brand used in CHiPs that I have loved since 4 years old, and the Ninja is insane.

2. It had to have slime green (coincidentally it is often referred to as "Kawasaki green") on it.

 

If the bike did not have both of those then I wasn't interested, and that is exactly what I told every sales person when I spoke to them.  "If it isn't a Kawasaki and it doesn't have green on it, then I don't want it."   

Kitting Up:

Since you have to take a motorcycle endorsement test to ride a motorcycle I knew that March would be as soon as I could get an endorsement given the winter weather and class offerings.  So in February I took the plunge and started slowly purchasing the equipment.  Anyone who knows me would know I have a keen eye for style and this carried right over to my motorcycle kits. I researched and ordered, tried on, returned, and tweaked things until I had exactly what I wanted. I had things that fit me, made me feel good, and things that made me happy to wear them. The hard work was worth it because every time I put on my motorcycle stuff I feel good about being me, I feel like a super hero.  

 

My goal was to make things unique, so over the course of a month and half I put together kits and coordinated equipment to construct an original looking, one-of-a-kind outfit that brought me a tremendous amount of satisfaction.  I didn't yet have a motorcycle, but because I was specific in what I would be getting, I knew what my kit should look like when I visualized it.  I have a tremendous gift for style, kits, decorating, projects, and this type of stuff. I had such a great time planning and working on this aspect of the adventure.

 

*I purchased this helmet and put on a blacked-out visor, notice no green.
 

*Bought these glove, somewhat lame, no green, nothing special.

 

*I went to work using my creativity and talents to make the items "mine" and something I would appreciate and be happy to wear.

  

*Full transformation of my helmet and gloves...tell me that this isn't legit, I dare you.

 

*My boots, very cool, but missing the Brodacious element.

 

*I painted my toe sliders on the boots to match my gloves, my helmet, and my jacket.

 

*In process of adding slime green to the knee sliders on my pants.

*Finished, green accents on my pants which now match my kit.

After all the hard work my kit was super hero worthy and it got me through the winter until my endorsement class. 

  

The class:

In March I went to the motorcycle vendor show at the fair grounds and immersed myself in the motorcycle world and signed up for the class. The class is about 20 hours of class room and actual riding.  At the end of instruction you take both a written and riding test. If you pass both you have an "endorsement" to legally ride a motorcycle.

 

I studied the booklet prior to the class so I was on top of my game when I came to the class room portion.  I visualized riding a motorcycle before I even rode. At the beginning of class, each of the 12 participants had to introduce themselves and give a brief statement of why they were at the class and what experience they had.  When it was my turn, I introduced myself and said, "I come from competitive bicycle racing.  I love bikes and I have ridden thousands of miles on things with two wheels, but I don't have a lot of experience on things with motors.  I am here because for my 30th birthday I am getting a motorcycle."  That about summed up my skill set.

 

Mentally I had practiced and created muscle memory of how to shift, use a clutch, and brake before I even got into the class. For example, when riding a bicycle you shift with your hands (on a motorcycle you use your left foot moving it up and down). On a bicycle your front brake is at your left hand and your rear brake is at your right (on a motorcycle your left hand is your clutch, right hand is your front brake, and your right foot is your rear brake), so you can see that things are different between a bike and motorcycle.

 

With my visualizations and skills it took literally 5 minutes on a motorcycle before it was second nature. It took 5 minutes for my life to change forever and to have one of the greatest feelings in the world.  Even after racing bikes for years, I can say that there is absolutely nothing like that of riding a motorcycle. It is life changing. 

 

I passed the written test with a 96 percent missing only one question. The skills part of the course was actually a ton of fun learning to ride and preparing for the riding test. I had a blast riding with my classmates, giving them high fives, and cruising around the obstacle learning.  You should not be surprised that my provided bike was a Kawasaki...destiny. I could have ridden that bike in a circle or weaved it through cones for hours. I was sad when the  class ended.

  

*Riding the course, I am on the right, behind the pole.

*Circling around getting ready to run over wood blocks to simulate road debris.

*Cornering and cone weaving was soooo fun.  

*Slow speed U-turn, by far the hardest thing to do on a motorcycle.

Our instructors and riders in our class were absolutely awesome, the class was amazing, and I had so much fun. We took numerous smoke breaks and often times our riding instructor had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth while he explained the course. It makes me laugh every time I think about it. The people in class were such good people to be around, and the smoking was hilarious. I come from bike racing where fit people don't smoke and take everything seriously, motorcycle people are much more toned down and relaxed.

 

I would recommend this class to anyone, even if you don't want to buy a motorcycle, the fact that you can have this much fun riding in a controlled environment with great people for $100 is the deal of the century.  The skills test was actually quite challenging, especially slow speed U-turns and quick stops, but I managed to score perfectly and when I left I had my motorcycle endorsement, it was time to test ride and shop!

 

Dream Adventure 2015: Part 1 of 3

 

My dream in the making: 

This is my oldest memory and my oldest dream. It was 26 years in the making and in my 30th year it felt like the timing was right, and I went for it.  I can remember way back when I was 4. I was so lucky because I spent a lot of time with my grandma at her house. I will never forget those times, she has long since passed and I would trade anything for the chance to go back to those times for a day, to be in her house and to smell those familiar smells of grandma's house, and just  to see her again.

 

I kept her very close in my mind and heart for this adventure.  My favorite part of staying at her house was watching the 70's TV show, CHiPs. If you don't know, or can't remember, it is a fictional show about California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers.  The two main characters are John Baker and Frank Poncharello ("Ponch and John").  For over 25 years I have been fascinated by the police motorcyles and the adventures of this show.

 

 



 

I recently purchased the first three seasons on DVD and have been watching them occasionally with my mom.  Even though I saw these episodes about 20 years (or more) ago, I can still remember the episodes and it takes me about 5 minutes for the memory of the episode to come back. I still remember playing with toy motorcycles that my grandma bought me and watching the show at her house. Life was so simple back then. 

 

 

I spent many days riding my bike around the neighborhood, wearing a toy six-shooter on my hip, and pretending I was on patrol.  I wore shirts with sewn-on badges, I wore my grandma's boots because they were similar to motorcycle boots used in the show, and my grandma even called me John Baker for a while. A funny side-note: for my birthday a real life motorcycle cop came to my house...and I hid behind the couch terrified. lol

 

*When I was 4 years I patrolled with my white sunglasses and a white helmet.

 

*...and I still wear a white helmet and white glasses.

 

*This is me on patrol keeping everyone safe. You're welcome.

 

*The cast of the show then.

*A fairly recent picture of the cast now...the change scares me.

 

 

For over 25 years I wanted a motorcycle, and for 25 years I talked myself out of it saying, "You don't need a motorcycle."  They are dangerous, you'll crash it." Your mom will worry."  "Just don't get one."  "You're not a motorcycle person." "You're not in a bike gang, people will laugh at you."

 

In 2013 I had athlete of year, in 2014 I had the natural bodybuilding championships, and in January 2015 I was thinking of what I wanted to do. The switch flipped, it was crystal clear what I wanted. I wanted a motorcycle. That little voice that talked me out of a motorcycle for so long was no longer there and the time was right. 

 

My journey had begun.