Call of the open road and power irresistible

There’s something about motorbikes, Kathryn King writes.

Maybe it’s the power and freedom associated with a motorbike and the open road. Or perhaps it’s the leather jackets. It’s definitely not the helmet hair. But whatever it is, I’ve always kind of liked them.

My partner has a motorbike, but I’m not one to sit on the back. My last ‘‘ motorcycle’’ excursion was on a scooter while holidaying in Rarotonga in 2010.

I was determined to have my own scooter, rather than share, harbouring distant memories of confidently hooning around my childhood home on a PeeWee 50.

Thinking that it really would be ‘‘ just like riding a bike’’, I ‘‘ proved’’ I could ride a scooter to the hire assistant in Rarotonga by wobbling at about 2kmh up the road a short distance, manually turning the bike around and wobbling back.

How she let me have a bike based on that performance, I don’t know.

But by day two of our stay, I was cruising the island quite comfortably on that scooter – no gear changing required of course, and since then, it’s been in the back of my mind to get a motorcycle licence.

I know I could ride a scooter without one, but it’s just not the same.

Before I even get to a bike at Palmerston North’s The Bike School, I had already learned a few key motorcycling tips.

When you’re not actually riding a bike, a motorcycle jacket is the equivalent of an oven and you will start sweating immediately.

Secondly, you should do up your helmet before you put your gloves on.

Sweating and slightly nervous when the time finally came to straddle a shiny Honda 125, my instructor Sean Rooney first runs me through the functions of all the lights, buttons, levers and twisty bits.

And then it’s the moment I’ve been waiting for – moving.

There’s a part of the taking off process Sean calls ‘‘ clutch bite’’.

It’s when you can feel the bike starting to strain forward, and that’s when you give it some gas while letting the clutch out the rest of the way.

With all that PeeWee practice and scooter riding, I considered this moment to be the final step between me and riding into the sunset. Yep. Stalled it. Next go though, I had it down. Within half an hour I was circling that car park like a pro, high- vis vest flapping in the breeze.

All too soon it was over and much like my days on the PeeWee, I never made it out of first gear.

Elated but slightly disappointed, I’m still quite a long way from road ready. I’ve resolved to pick up a few more lessons in the new year, and get my learner’s.

After that, watch out Manawatu.