Some Emotional States experienced with MSR - February 2008

Desperation/Joy 3^rd-10^th February, 2008

My R6 started feeling sick on the way home from the Great Ocean ride on 3^rd February… missing some beats. Take it into Charlie (Turn One Motorcycles) who is reluctant to take on any bike other than a Triumph and has bikes booked in for the next 2 months, takes one look at my bike and says “coils, cost you $600” … I look pale, he adds “you got a shit bike, get a Triumph”. I don’t want to sell my bike, I just want it fixed. I find it difficult to live without it. My freedom, my escape, my thrills, my fix…

I start to feel an overwhelming sense of desperation of not having a bike to ride, so I plead with Charlie from the bottom of my heart to please, please fix my bike… his response “ah I don’t know”… I must have looked very anxious at this stage because he then says “okay, but don’t know if parts in stock”.

I leave my bike feeling most despondent, and at a loss; I call Misho, who gets me thinking more clearly about other options and decide to retrieve the bike for him to investigate.

Change of fuel – no difference, new spark plugs – no difference. We start the task of consulting the “experts” (Yamaha, Peter Stevens, Ben Warden, Ben Churcher, Ron Solomon) for opinions, possibilities, options; begin searching for second-hand coils but a risky, expensive option $200, no guarantee, no return. By this stage, any possibility of a weekend ride looking grim and I’m feeling the withdrawal symptoms…. bad (back to the Charlie option, I’m thinking).

Days later, I get a phone call from Misho who says “Have a listen…it’s your bike, its working” I listen in disbelief, but how, when, what? Unbeknownst to me, Ben Warden had given Misho some of his spare Honda coils to transplant into my Yamaha, and it worked! They delivered my bike to me that evening… feelings of great elation when I heard it coming down my street... I immediately jumped onto it, took it around the block and was filled with such happiness and relief at having my bike back.

I spent the evening in a state of bliss, filled with happiness and relief at having my bike back and contemplating how lucky I am to be surrounded by such good friends who understand this crazy passion. Thankyou so much for all your support … you filled my spirit with immense joy.

Sadness/Missing 17^th February, 2008

I met Ron Solomon on my first ride with the Club and was, to my surprise, treated to a display of some spectacular monos… it was fantastic! Thereafter, I waited in anticipation for those monos whenever he turned up on a ride. He never failed to disappoint. As rear-rider, I was always treated to a great mono when I reached a corner where Ron was marking… can’t tell you what a big grin it put on my face; it made rear-riding so much fun knowing that I would be rewarded with a great performance.

His personality was as big as his monos… his wicked sense of humour and the language with which he expressed it, had me in tears of laughter, and at times, with looks of utter disbelief… His presence was unmistakable - his laughter, his shit-stirring, his monos… all gone…. How I miss that man.

The motorcycle procession on the day of his funeral was such a powerful display of how much Ron was admired, respected, loved and finally missed. In times of such immense sadness, we kind of expect the world to stop for us and acknowledge our pain at such a loss, and for one brief moment, it felt that we did this… the world did stop for us all who were on the journey starting from Ron’s workshop in Sunshine, and travelling all the way to the Fawkner cemetery for the final exiting ritual.

But then life goes on, and you can almost imagine Ron telling us all to stop being a bunch of “pussies” and go and enjoy life you “m…….. f……s”. For me, he says while doing a mono… “This one’s for you, baby”.

Fear/Relief : MSR Gippsland Ride 24^th February, 2008

This was a day for Ben Warden to frolic about through some undiscovered little roads in Gippsland, taking his small afternoon group of loyal followers (Cameron, Pina, Nick) for the ride as well. The usual up some twisties, down some twisties, but repeat this at least 4 times in various locations of which I cannot remember, apart from the fact that they were very green, isolated and very much off the beaten track.

On one particular part of the ride, we were going uphill around some tight corners when I suddenly came across two big black cows standing on the road in my path. This had never happened to me before and I just sat there waiting, feeling the fear, but quickly trying to think what to do, wondering “do cows charge at people or do they usually run away?” While I’m thinking and looking at the cows, the cows are just standing there just looking at me. Well lucky for me, the cows decided to move away. I can’t even remember where they ended up going, I just remember my heart beating very fast, very loud, and thinking I should just quickly ride on and catch up with my fellow riders.

Little did I know that a “guardian angel”, (Nick), sensing I may be in danger, was watching me from a safe distance further on ahead. He later told me he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw me safely emerge. Thanks Nick. So sweet.

On the journey back on the same road, Cameron watched over me from a safe distance while I was trying to strategically overtake one of the cows who was randomly running uphill across the narrow and treacherous road.

My first encounter with “wildlife” all negotiated successfully and very relieved at having done so. Thanks Nick and Cameron for your thoughtfulness. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it, knowing that my fellow riders are somehow always there to support me when it is needed… Such a wonderful club to ride with, and never a dull moment.

Patience/Appreciation : MSR Gippsland Ride 24^th February, 2008

It’s a bit of a wild and windy Sunday morning, so only a few regulars turn up for the ride, as well as a first-time rider with our club, a young woman called Rachel, on a Spada 250. She was pleased to see another female (me) arrive, a little late, due to wrong turnoffs and roads being policed everywhere.

Off to Korumburra, with Ben leading and me rear-rider and Nick, Marty, Cameron and Rachael in the middle. The roads to Korumburra are a great run, but today with the windy and wet conditions, sensible caution and good riding skills were demonstrated by our first-time rider.

At morning tea at Korumburra, our first time rider, with happy disposition, apologised for her slower pace and “taking the joy away from the rear-rider” to which I responded “Hey, no problem, it’s okay, that’s how I started with the Club”…followed on by further encouragement by the other riders (hey Marty, you do a great job at motivating people).

Having been rear-rider for a first time rider such as Rachel has filled me with a great sense of appreciation of all the patience shown to me when I first started riding with MSR and the patience and support which still continues to be given to me as my skill levels and speed slowly increase. So, to all my fellow riders who have done rear-riding on the rides I’ve been on and for all those to come, please accept a big THANK-YOU for your never-ending patience and respectful distance.

A big thankyou also to all the riders who have supported me in one way or another (turning my bike in tricky situations, picking up bike when fallen, picking up my spirits, good riding advice… the list goes on) when I have been on the Club rides.

I still remember when I first rode with this Club in June 2007, taking my first tentative steps but pulling out for fear of being too slow; being drawn back in again with the on-going encouragement of several MSR members (Marty again, Misho, Ben, and others), then coming for rides only occasionally, and now finally… returning week after week and enjoying so much being a part of this wonderful journey with MSR…. may the fun keep on coming!

Pina Garasi