Crossing Over

By: Joe Altieri

I started riding motorcycles over a quarter century ago. Seems like forever in some ways, and seems like just yesterday in others. I love motorcycles. I love the way they look, the way they sound, the way they small, and, most especially the way they make me feel when I.m riding one. This experience has been the same no matter what bike I'm on. From dirt bikes to cruisers, from scooters to liter bikes, the feeling, the freedom, the joy, is the same. So I find it interesting that I am struggling with the idea of getting off of my Japanese superbike and switching to an American made cruiser. I have been putting my puck to the pavement for as long as I can remember, and nothing gets my adrenaline pumping quite like dragging my knee through a sweeping corner at speed. I love the feel of my performance designed machine underneath me. When I ride it, we are one. The bike becomes an extension of me, and the cohesion I experience with my bike, whether it is on a track or in the canyons is powerful and rewarding. So much about performance riding is mental. It requires a sharp mind, a calm and confident demeanor, and the ability to think quickly and clearly. It's the kind of experience that actually helps to hone these skills for use in other areas of life, and it is also the kind of exercise that helps to keep me young in mind, body, and spirit.

Like it or not though, my body is getting older. At 46 I'm not quite as limber and flexible as I was 10 or 15 years ago. Don't get me wrong, I train regularly, and keep myself in as close to tip-top shape as I can; but there is no stopping time and the inevitable effects of age. I have lower back issues, bad knees from football and hockey, sciatica pain and tingling in my right leg, a battered rotator in my left shoulder, and any number of smaller, chronic pain issues scattered about my body. The riding position on my superbike has taken its toll as well, and I find that I am less and less comfortable on the bike, and feel sore for longer after I get off a good ride. My brother is a Harley guy, and has, for years, been trying to coax me over to 'the other side'. I have held off for a long time. Not that I don't like the Harley bikes...I do. What's not to like? Beauty, power, and craftsmanship are standard on almost every Harley Davidson you come across. But, you just can't ride them like a superbike. So I have stayed true to my riding passion...until now. I have taken a couple of test rides at my local HD dealership, and have really enjoyed the rides. The bikes handle well, ride incredibly comfortably, and don't beat the hell out of my body the way my sport bike does. My lower back feels almost no strain in the cruising posture, and, there's a whole lot less stiffness in my upper back and shoulders. Even though I'm used to the sportbike riding posture, I still feel the wear and tear on my body, especially after a long or particularly spirited ride. I'm also a lot less inclined to push my limits or my luck on the cruiser. Crotch rockets almost demand that you 'up the ante'; in fact, most sportbike riders will tell you that the bike actually handles and performs better at higher speed and higher RPMs...they are designed to be ridden a certain way, as are the cruisers.

I don't see myself crossing over completely. Ideally I'll keep a crotch rocket in the garage strictly for track days, as I don't think I'll ever outgrow the love I have for scraping the puck. That being said, I look forward to my new cruising future, and experiencing the road, and the ride, from a more comfortable, less intense point of view.

Published: Sep 10, 2010

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