motorcyclemeditation.com

Spinning along on the motorcycle and a new thought surfacing, well, this machine’s a couple of years old now, let’s ponder that awhile.

A good age for a motorcycle to be, loosened up but still taut, plus, less likely to be stolen. But raising the question, when to replace it. The basic principle, it’s a working tool, more than enough for the job, no need to change. Fine, except for another principle, things move on, don’t get stuck, before long your equipment’s outmoded and so is your brain, you start feeling the world has left you behind, you start acting old.

Today on the motorcycle in the sunshine, burbling along just fine, a good time to give consideration to such things, no pressure, just the gentle whirring of the wheels to nudge along the gentle whirring of the brain. Unpressured, undirected thinking being the best sort, then when the moment’s good and ready, the decision makes itself.

Interesting technical issues arising. Tiny changes, a longer trailing arm, better centralization of mass, better brakes, suchlike, all accumulating into significance, makes a big difference next time you’re in a tight spot, might make the difference between survival and paraplegia.

The issue made more difficult by marketing noise, like radio hiss drowning out the signal. Glossy motorcycle magazines, strident, dazzling photography, dizzying statistics, scrambling the brain.

Strange how often things you encounter in everyday life, to change or not to change, to strip out the marketing noise, countless other things too, when you apply them to motorcycling, they become sharper. Motorcycling, life’s great intensifier.

Just for fun, changing down to second, opening up, the motorcycle jumping, thundering past cars previously overtaken by. A couple of seconds, hundred on the speedo, enough. Revs dropping, the motorcycle slowing obediently. A glorious demonstration of power, balance, trueness.

Maybe there’s another principle at work, get yourself a classic, you don’t need to change so often.