black chevrolet

The forks chuddered and rattled with their characteristic cheap-hardware clunking over the scattered array of cobblestones.  Green light hah green green green revving up banking her hard HARD right yellow silver SUV stay the hell put and let me finish this maneuver... and through.... and past the corner.....

(why is the pavement so close to my right knee?  Why is the longitudinal axis of the motorcycle not following the front wheel?  It's not supposed to do that.)

(why do I feel like I am water skiing?)

(oh yeeeeah.  'Member last night how you went in and did the tire sidewalls all up pretty in that shiny silicone stuff?  And then like an idiot you shined up all the outer tread blocks thinking that would complete the picture?)

(I remember that.  Gosh this is weird.  It's so smooth and peaceful, just like gliding it is, gliding along athwart the centerline)

(I wonder if the lady in that silver SUV is watching me.  I wonder if her kids are watching me.  I wonder if her kids are going WOW! Look at that motorcycle SLIDING! and she is going Now this is why you should NEVER think of riding motorcycles!)

(Glad I put those crashbars on when the wind blew this thing over.  I hope they protect the engine.  And I'm glad I'm wearing my kevlar-lined pants.  I hope they protect my legs.)

(Okay, it's been long enough.  It's been one and a half seconds and one and a half seconds is way more than enough time. WHY AM I NOT SPRAWLED ALL OVER THE STREET???)

Like a fisherman reeling a fish in on the line, the motorcycle has reeled is back end into its proper longitudinal place (slthrrrpppp - just like that!) and there! is standing upright and humming along toward the stop sign at 20 mph as if nothing had ever happened.  I giggled inside my helmet.  My motorcycle drives itself. It freaking drives itself! And this is not the first time! Suzuki I LOVE you, you have designed the DAMNDEST machine for beginning riders EVER!   I swear it goes on self stabilizing autopilot when it senses the rider is no longer in control.  I giggle inside my helmet again as I brake at the stop sign, peek into the rearview mirror and there is soccer mom in the SUV, stopped dead, with her hand over her face.

The trembling does not begin until I am well on my journey, off onto the freeway and giving thanks that I am undamaged, that it is undamaged, and it is just another sunny Sunday of another sunny week....