To: labiker@motohaus.org Subject: sunday ride.. Date: Sun, 03 Nov 2002 21:23:11 -0500 From: gayathri somedays, just dont start out right. It was a bad morning, culminating in a stressful lunch and a drive home that said to me, "ok, girl, get yer ass out of the house. and now." pulled on the race boots, cleaned off the new smith sunglasses, found out I still fit into my vanson jacket and geared on up. Nothing in the tank bag but the inhaler (asthma been acting up recently), cell phone and a neck warmer... vroom on out, singing in my helmet (since my headfones finally died) and head onto the Shell station. Some old guy on an old Triumph is gassing up, but he doesnt talk to me. put in 3.5 gallons and head on up the hill. Its 3:30, the sun is out, the air is clear, the road.. the road was empty. Two cars the entire way up, and both JUST before a passing zone. How lucky am I? Practicing the knee to knee exercise from Level 3 of Superbike School, I also practice late apexing and the quick flick -- Squid noticed at the track that I'm lazy getting down into the turns. So practice being less lazy. *wack wack wack* (~Your really lovely, underneath it all...I'm really lucky... Underneath it all ~) Nice thing about tourmaster pants, its easier to slide your ass back and forth on the seat. Nice thing about an empty tank bag, you can ignore it and drop your elbow just right into each turn, dropping your shoulder and head as well... hey, the view's a little different here... (~Oh my, starry eyed surprise... Sun down to sun rise Dance all night... dance all night to this DJ~) The Smith sunglasses rock -- the heavy sunlight is filtered cleanly and my eyes dont hurt. I can feel those thigh muscles working hard each turn and for once all weekend, everything is suddenly gone. (~You better lose yourself in the music, the moment. You own it, you better never let it go~) Its me, moving along in the sunlight, in the clear air humming bits of songs as I go along, and I feel the bike's powerful thrum, rolling on the throttle and off, the engine responding, feeling the suspension settling and rising, feeling me in motion, smooth, all smooth and everything is moving sooo slowly -- except the RPMs are up and the speedo... well, its not in a legal zone at all... The zone. :) Its been a while since I've been here. I knew things were getting better this past track day, and riding with Russ that sunday, but today, alone, in the cool fall air, seeing the red, bright red leaves on the maple trees, catching flashes of gold as the sunlight hit the mountainsides, breathing in and out (~ the trick is to keep breathing...~) What could be more perfect? All too soon, I'm up to Newcomb's Ranch and stop for a bit of hot tea to warm up and look at the late arrived Squids. (~ As I look up to the sky today, well I can see you looking down on me, it brings a smile to my face again~) Two guys in full leathers on a new R1 and a new GSXR750. I read Free 2 Wheel's article on the new falco and wonder if the Suzi or the Aprilia will find its way into my garage next season? Then an older couple on _matching_ burnt orange goldwings come out to chat with the two sportbike guys. Russ, I thought of you and Jane for sure, but they werent YELLOW 'wings, but those neat burnt orange coloured ones that DONT look like pumpkins. Wait until they all leave, and gear up to head on down myself... Catching up to the woman onthe goldwing was painful -- her lines were nothing like mine and it was tough to pass her 'cause I kept staring at her... finally, vroom by on a straight. Then once I hit the Angeles Forest turn off, the cages stack up and I end up practicing keeping myself in the one wheel track the rest of the way down... head on home, quiet in my helmet except for the big smile. Gayathri >-------------------------------------------------------------- gayathri@world.std.com Calamari Club #002, WSMC #98 '88 FZR400, "gurlzbike" '98 T595, "Huckleberry Hound" "La tastaw Hishu tareeq el-Haq, min qilit es-sa'ireen fihi" Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it.