Catching Waves

As I hopped off the bike and walked into the building today an older woman on her smoke break said, "You must be a hardcore rider to be riding in the mornings this week." I smiled and said, "With the appropriate gear it's quite comfortable."

Of course, I immediately realized my answer probably drained any street cred I had just earned. I should have quoted Tenacious D by shouting "Well, you're not hardcore unless you live hardcore!"

I had the chance to give a friend a ride home. We passed a middle school and a group of kids waved. As we approached another group of kids they started waving. My friend asked, "Why are all these kids waving at us?" I said, "I don't know. It happens all the time."

And it does. I should be glad. The bright yellow jacket is designed for visibility and I can't help notice that almost everyone watches the scooter go by. Especially kids and old men.

The photo above is courtesy bikerlawblog.com. It's a shot of the motorcycle low wave. It's a gesture of awareness for other riders.

It's like saying, "I see you other motorcycle rider and acknowledge you while I'm also aware of everything else that is going on around us like the idiot SUV driver in front of me with poor lane control, talking on her cell phone, that probably doesn't see either of us and - you're cool."

I do like the variations, like the rider-and-passenger dual wave, the handle bar finger-lift, and my personal favorite - the helmet nod. I didn't get as many return waves on the Metro.

Speaking of the Met', I took the Beverly in to repair the speedometer and have the 600 mile service. The only loaner Vespa o' the Ozarks had was my former Metropolitan. As soon as I sat down I was overwhelmed with how much smaller a bike it was. I can't believe I got by with the tiny frame and matching power. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the Metro, but I don't think I can come back from the room and get-up-and-go of the BV 250.

At the same time, it was like a visit from an old friend. I do miss a bit of the lighter agility and sense of basic pleasure the Metro affords. No regrets, though. The tune-up did just that and the Beverly runs like a champ now. The brand new odometer was set at zero, so I'll have to add 300 miles to it in my head when I think about it.