[okcpony]

Nice looking ride, there!  Hope it gives you many miles of fun!

[okcpony]

Beautiful country up there!  Hope to get up there someday in our 5th wheel or maybe on a cruise! 

[okcpony]

….and of course, it has quit raining so much.  Weird how Oklahoma really runs the gamut on the weather.  There is a real distinction of all four seasons around here. 

[okcpony]

I grew up in an enduro-friendly area, where you could easily ride on large empty lots, even finding some places will hills to fly off of. The absolute best place to ride was where the state was in the process of building a big three-tier interstate exchange. Today, it’s I-44 at the Airport Road interchange…but back in the mid-70’s, on any summer day there might be 30 different dirt and enduro type bikes there. What great fun. My dad had a Honda street bike around that time, and we actually had the classic “someone made a left turn in front of us” accident as he was taking me to softball practice one day. The two things I remember most about that wreck was (a) the really quick realization that we’re going down, and (b) how my helmet sounded as it scraped along the pavement for it seemed a long ways. I learned a valuable lesson in wearing the right gear, since I only had on jean shorts and a t-shirt with my helmet…this was probably 1975. Ha ha, my mom said no more bikes around after that! Had another enduro around 1983 that I kept about a year. Fast forward past getting married, having two kids, and getting them both raised and into college…and my hubby and I decide to buy a couple of street bikes. It is hard to pinpoint what the appeal is. Just being out in the fresh air, hearing the motor and feeling the wind against you is pretty cool. I guess the feeling of speed as you accelerate from a stop is sort of addictive, as well. As a female rider, it’s amusing to get the occasional “you ride your own bike??” Yeah, I do!

[okcpony]

Agree with the others that the scenery is awesome! Those little chipmunks or whatever they are get fairly brave when food is involved. You got some great pictures, and some great memories to go along with them. The walk over the narrow wood bridge over the rushing water did look intimidating to me…

[okcpony]

I love that color combo! The dealer here called it “red & white” but that didn’t seem like a red to me! I looked pretty hard at the S40, but ended up with the V-Star 650 instead. The S40 felt really comfy and had a nice fit to it, and I thought they looked almost like a baby Sportster. Best wishes with the new scooter, and hoping you get to rack up some nice miles very soon! (and I agree, sure would not want to get on the Tulsa interstates for awhile!)

[okcpony]

Hello Mr. Meet!
When you feel ready to get off the parking lot circuit, have a look at the smaller and less congested state highways, of which Oklahoma has a great deal of. There are plenty of small towns sprinkled here and there, giving you ample places to stop and stretch or grab a soda. I am a relatively new rider myself (just over 1000 miles since March when my hubby & I took the BRC) and I can tell you the state highways have been fun to get out on. I actually started out on a Rebel, but have moved up to a V-Star 650 now. Yeah, there are folks out here who deck their Rebels out fully! Nice bike to start on, pretty predictable and light enough to build up confidence on when you’re new. You will notice those Oklahoma winds will blow you around on a bike that light, however. I think it’s helpful to attempt to get even small rides in as frequently as possible, and this will help get you acclimated to traffic situations. Forget rush hour and stay away from high schools during before/after/lunch periods, as those teenage drivers drive way too fast for their own good.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Lynn in OKC

[okcpony]

since I have just under 1000 miles in 10 months. But, five of those months I was on “hiatus” while my husband recovered from his broken leg! So, I guess the positive spin on that would be I did most of those miles since passing the BRC in mid-March!

[okcpony]

That’s a big confidence booster, I think. Lots & lots of practice, as previously mentioned, is the next big step, and a continuing one, at that. Even if you’re just getting out for 15-20 mile rides here and there, it builds that familiarity factor and gets you more adjusted to traffic situations. Best Wishes!

[okcpony]

Good for you! Glad it was fun and everything went well. Probably won’t be long and you’ll have done a 200 mile run to go along with it!

[okcpony]

I really do like that blue with black paint combo. I kinda looked for that when I was bike shopping but no such luck. Guess that shouldn’t be a determining factor when making a purchase like that, but I knew I didn’t want a solid black bike. I can’t say that I like those Nightsters at all.

[okcpony]

Hmmm…being a mother much longer than I’ve been a motorcyclist, my eyes first went to the handsome little guy giving us the thumbs-up! Oh yeah, that’s quite an awesome bike, too! Love the bright green/black.

[okcpony]

That’s a big step in building the confidence factor. I am finding that it is helpful, although this sounds overly simple, to ride as frequently as possible. Even if it’s just 30 minutes or so every day, or every other day, your comfort level with what you’re learning, and the traffic around you, will increase each time you go out. If you have a period of days (or weeks) that you can’t ride, it seems to make that first ride out a bit more unnerving. My hubby & I got our cards laminated, went the next day to the motor vehicle dept. and took the written test, and got the M endorsement on our licenses. It really does make you feel more empowered to be LEGAL in that area!
Best wishes…Lynn in OKC

[okcpony]

Although my days of Kid TV are quite a bit behind me, the “Sailor Mouth” episode of Spongebob would surely make any adult laugh. I believe they called the words “conversation enhancers”. Too funny. As for my tv favorites, I tend to watch more of the HGTV stuff, Food Network, love the scenery in CSI:Miami, and I try to watch some CNBC. Anthony Bourdain No Reservations is pretty good, just because he seems to be more of a regular guy than one of the pompous chef types. Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern is just crazy icky.

[okcpony]

If the lake you were at was like the one we were at (Lake Murray) it was absolutely overrun with people. Even the lake water was lukewarm from the recent high temps, so that’s not too refreshing. A friend told me that Eureka Springs always draws a lot of bikes since it’s really pretty and mountainous there. Maybe someday….

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