This weekend was a blast.  It rained, it snowed, and my hands and feet froze to the point of digit death.  Yet, one of my instructors, Glenn, called me Smiley the entire 2 days.  I was one happy girl.  I was driving a motorcycle.  I’d always wanted to ride, but it was one of those things I never put on the front burner.  So if you’ve got anything on the back burner that you really want to do, I encourage you to do it now.  What are you waiting for!?

It all started with a yellow Vespa two months ago.  Out of nowhere, I walked into a scooter store and bought one.  The learning process had begun.  I found out that I needed a motorcycle license in Ontario to operate a scooter, so I came home and tossed a Motorcycle Handbook at my boyfriend, who said “You bought a scooter!?” He knows me so well.

Two days later I wrote my M1 test and could legally operate a scooter (or motorcycle) on the road – all by myself.  I picked up my scooter and drove home in downtown Toronto rush hour traffic thinking “I can’t believe I’m “qualified” to do this right now…”  Just another normal day in the life of Yammy.

What most people don’t know is that I crashed it 6 days later.  But I knew right then I wasn’t giving up.  My experience – and other riders who shared their experiences – taught me a few things.  1. Going slow is more difficult than going fast.  2. Riding classes are important. 3. Everyone dumps their bike at some point. 4. Sometimes other people dump your bike for you.  5. Get up, and forgive yourself.  6. Forgiving someone who pushes your bike over is very hard to do…so crash your bike yourself. 7. I am a better rider for dumping my scooter early on.

Back to the license issue.  Once you get the M1, you need to pass a driving test on a motorcycle to get your M2 (which lets you carry passengers, drive while dark, and go on the highway!), or settle for a limited speed M2 license by taking a scooter driving test (no highway!).  My feet were wet, and not wanting to be limited to a sissy scooter and slow roads, I signed up for a motorcycle class.  In 2 days I went from motorcycle virgin to passing my M1 exit test.  I now hold an M2 and can legally drive a Harley down the 401 with a passenger on my back.  Would I? Hell no!  I’m not crazy.  It just goes to show you how messed up our laws are in Ontario, Canada!

Those 2 days on a motorcycle changed my life.  I now want to trade in my yellow Vespa and get a motorcycle!  I guess I was meant to be a biker chick – or biker duck (picture me waddling my bike forward to park it).  Quack, quack.