Getting the Bike Ready for Some Dirt
Okay, so I woke up Saturday morning, looked outside, and thought, “Yeah, it’s time to get the bike off the pavement for a bit.” Had this itch, you know? Haven’t really done much trail riding lately, mostly just commuting.
First things first, had to check the motorcycle over. Went out to the garage. She was looking a bit too clean, honestly. Checked the tire pressure, let a bit out for better grip on loose stuff. Lubed the chain – always gotta do that. Checked the oil and coolant. Everything seemed okay, good enough for a few hours of fun.
Gear Up Time
Next was getting myself ready. Pulled out my old riding gear.
- Helmet, obviously.
- Goggles, ’cause dust and mud flying ain’t fun.
- Gloves.
- My sturdy boots.
- That old riding jacket.
Felt a bit like putting on armor. Took a few minutes, always does.
Hitting the Trails
Finally got going around mid-morning. Didn’t have a specific plan, just headed towards those rougher backroads and trails a few miles out of town. The first part was easy, just gravel roads, kicking up a little dust. Felt good to be out.
Then I saw that little turn-off, the one that looks like it just goes into the woods. Figured, “Why not?” Turned onto it. Man, it got rough pretty quick. Dirt track, lots of bumps, roots sticking out. Had to stand up on the pegs quite a bit, let the bike move underneath me. That’s the way you gotta do it on this stuff.
There was this one section, a bit of an uphill with loose rocks. Gave it some gas, the back wheel spun a little, fishtailed. Had a moment there, thought I might drop it. But kept the throttle steady, shifted my weight, and muscled it up. Heart was pounding a bit after that!
Found a small clearing later on. Stopped for a bit. Just switched the engine off. Quiet out there. Just birds, wind in the trees. Nice change from city noise. Drank some water I brought. Looked back at the track, bike was properly dusty now. That’s better.
Heading Back
Spent maybe an hour or two exploring different little paths back there. Nothing too crazy, didn’t want to break anything, including me. Eventually decided it was time to head back. Turned around, navigated back to the main gravel road, and then onto the pavement home.
Got back to the garage feeling tired, arms a bit sore, but satisfied. Yeah, that was good. Covered in dust, bike looked like it actually did something interesting. Clean-up would wait till tomorrow. Parked it up, peeled off the gear. Definitely needed that ride.
