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Riding a Motorcycle Arturo Bartolomé Asín from Spain Photo from Arturo Bartolome We were six children in my family and I was the youngest. My father bought us a little motorcycle. It is name was a Montesa Cota 25. My sisters and brother already knew how to ride motorcycles. I was five years old, and I remember perfectly the first day when my father taught me to ride this little jewel.   It is one of the most exciting experiences in my life. My relationship with the motorcycles began when I was a child. The feelings are difficult to explain. Riding a motorcycle is a perfect symbiosis between the rider and the machine. There is an important difference between cars and motorcycles. Cars forgive mistakes; motorcycles don’t. There are two important periods in my life related with the motorcycle: the beginnings and today. We were six children in my family and I was the youngest. My father bought us a little motorcycle. It is name was a Montesa Cota 25. My sisters and brother already knew how to ride motorcycles. I was five years old, and I remember perfectly the first day when my father taught me to ride this little jewel. I was not afraid and I drove all afternoon on the tennis court. My father taught me; too, that to own a motorcycle was not only riding it. I had to take care of it, fill it up with gas, mix the gas with oil and clean it. This was my first motorcycle. Later, I had others kinds of motorcycles. These old motorcycles had a lot of kilometers on the speedometer. When I was eighteen, I get a driving license, and my father decided that relationship with the motorcycle had ended. Riding a motorcycle on the roads is a different thing and is very dangerous. When he was younger, he slid and ended up a truck. My father told me that I had tested this experience and I could continue driving the cars. Photo from Arturo Bartolome Now, I realize that riding motorcycles is a unique experience. The feelings of freedom and power are difficult to explain. It is a dangerous thing though.   When I began to earn my own money, I only had one idea on my mind. I had to buy a big motorcycle. One day, a friend of mine called me. Somebody wanted to sell his Honda CBR 600. That was my dream motorcycle. This Japanese motorcycle had four cylinders and one hundred horses of power. I went to see it and I bought it. I had realized my dream. The beginnings were hard and hazardous. I was not used that kind of machine and I had fear of it. I was very wary of driving it. When I drove a lot of kilometers with the CBR, my skills improved. I used to go to work with the bike and I drove it to the mountains on the weekends. Now, I realize that riding motorcycles is a unique experience. The feelings of freedom and power are difficult to explain. It is a dangerous thing though. You have to wear an appropriate helmet. You have to wear a leather suit and big leather boots. You can’t drink anything because you need have the whole control of your bike. Finally, you have to guess the driver’s movement. Riding a bike is freedom, liberty, power, adventure, and speed. However, you have to respect the rules. I never forgot that on the motorcycle I am the body. If I am aware of these things, I will have a long life with my motorcycle. Return to: Meeting People | Home Page TOPICS Online Magazine - ©1997-2007 topics.mag@gmail.com Published by Sandy and Thomas Peters