The Irksome Part of Motorcycling...

[Tinkicker]

Once upon a time there was a scruffy, leather jacketed, denim cutoff, jeans and bike booted young tinkicker.  This was pretty much his entire ensemble.  The jacket lived draped over a chair in his kitchen, his helmet and gloves lived on the kitchen table and the well worn, almost carpet slipper comfortable boots lived at the side of the kitchen door.  Jeans were always worn.

 

So lets go out on the bike.. Jacket on, boots pulled on, helmet gloves and keys picked up and out to the garage, unlock it, fuel on, ignition on and be riding in less than three minutes from switching the telly off.

 

Fast forward 35 years.

Still a scruffy creature, that particular foible never changed.  This time it is scruffy for comfort, not a lifestyle statement.  Jeans gave way to fleece joggers, leather jacket gave way to t shirt and sweatshirt.  Bike boots are now trainers.

 

Time to get the bike out for a run.

OK.  Unlock the shed, turn off the alarm, unlock the chain and disc lock. 

Remove the dust sheets.

Remove the battery tender.

Grope under the tank with a specially bought for the purpose, very long screwdriver to switch on the fuel via the completely inaccessable fuel tap.

Refit the seat and seat cowl. 

Start up the bike, check the tyre pressures, roll out the bike through two extra layers of security into the driveway. 

Stop the bike, and switch off the ignition.  Pocket the keys.

Upstairs bedroom to change into jeans or more usually, combat pants.

Spare bedroom to collect armoured jacket and boots. 

Take downstairs put them on the kitchen worktop. 

Into conservatory where I keep the helmet, take it out of bag and place with jacket ect.

Put on my stiff as hell tactical boots.  

 

Make sure the escape artist dogs are where they should be before opening the front door, if one sneaks out without me seeing, it will be away as soon as I open the final gates onto the road.

Armed with jacket, gloves and helmet, I slip out of the front door, lock it and go to start the bike.  Where is the key?  Upstairs in my jogger pants pocket is where.

Unlock the door and wrestle with three dogs intent on getting out, to get back in.

Go upstairs, find key, come back and wrestle with three dogs intent on getting out into the front garden once again to get back out the front door.

Lock the front door and zip the keys into a pocket.

Start up the bike to warm it while I put on the jacket, helmet and gloves.

Open the final layer of security - the main gates and onto the street.

 

Start to finish, a full 30 minutes or more.  Many is the time when I have fancied a ride out and did not go because I could not face the rigmarole of getting everything ready.

Modern life is so much more complicated than it once was.

Edited 15 hours ago by Tinkicker

[Bender]

Yea I struggle with popping out on the bike.

[Simon Davey]

I think most of us are with you there.

It takes me 20 minutes, and all my gear is kept with the bike in the store.

If I don't get to the bike within 10 minutes of my planned time, I don't go out, because it eats into my meagre ride time too much. 

[S-Westerly]

Not quite that bad as my bike isn't garaged and all my gear is in the kitchen by the back door. So in summer I can be out in 5 minutes. Winter 10 to 15.

[Mickly]

Takes me 1/2 hour to put on my A-Stars Tech 7’s if I’m going to be getting dirty on the KTM

combination of not being as bendy as I used to be & having much bigger calves than the average Italian.

[Bungleaio]

This is why I don't go out for a ride for an hour, I can't be bothered with the faff of getting dressed up. If I'm going out I'm out for hours.

[V650]

6 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Not quite that bad as my bike isn't garaged and all my gear is in the kitchen by the back door. So in summer I can be out in 5 minutes. Winter 10 to 15.

You lucky sod

Takes me that long to decide which helmet i'm going to wear