Motarbaik!

I am now officially one of those foolish people who spurn two of the normal four wheels and all of the normal heavy steel armor which are so important to most drivers: I am now allowed to ride a motorbike as a learner!

Never mind that I have no helmet or boots, no actual motorbike, and am yet to obtain my actual physical learners permit, owing to bloodyminded vicroads beuraucratica.

I can happily recommend Motorcycle Motion as a great  place to train for and sit your motorcycle learner’s permit tests.

As to why, there are a few of reasons:

  1. I thought it might be fun
  2. E laiks baiks! I look forward to going touring one day very much.
  3. Money. It takes a lot more of the stuff for fuel, registration, maintenance, insurance and e-tag fees to keep this on the road:
    Mazda 929
    …than it does for this:
    Yamaha SRX 250
    …which is incidentally the same kind of cheap learner-legal bike I hope to soon buy off my brother.

Several people have expressed concern about the safety, or lack thereof, inherent in my doing this. I want to be very clear and very public in stating that my eyes are open. I know very well that motorcyclists are vastly more at risk than car drivers. I do not intend to take any chances, and will not be going anywhere without substantial safety gear. Nonetheless I know that what I am going to do is inherently unsafe. I’m ok with that.

More news will follow when I actually do some riding. 🙂

2 thoughts on “Motarbaik!

  1. Hey, did you ever get the SRX 250? I’m a new owner of one exactly like that pictured, and kinda curious to hear how other people find ’em. Especially ones who live in the same neck of the woods as me 🙂

    • Bought it, rode it for several years, crashed it twice, sold it. I now have a 94 Honda ST1100 of great vroomage and about 5x as many kilos.
      The SRX was a lot of fun, and a great learner bike, but it was getting to the age where every mechanical problem is serious, and the age of the engine was telling in steadily decreasing power.
      It made me appreciate thumpers though! All those pretty little Deus modded SR400s hold a whole new appeal.
      Sadly though, yeah, I sold it, which kinda precludes me selling it to you.

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