March 18, 2012 7:09 PM PDT
Surely everyone can remember their first ever real road ride. Mine was doing it the wrong way. My uncle was going away, and his bike was at home, but his mates bike was about 5km away at his mates mothers. He was working the whole day, I was on school holidays and sitting around doing nothing. I had my own trail bike and he knew i could outride him in the dirt, so he figured surely I could ride 5 km on the road, and bring the bike over so they could pack it all on the trailer and dissappear on the annual pilgrimege to Nth Queensland with minimal effort that afternoon.
So he lined it up. I got over to his mates mom's around 11am. I was 15 yrs old. Pretty tall for my age so from behind I'd look the part or so we thought. I got the bike going, It was a Yamaha 350 trail bike. My uncles was a 250 of the same brand. His was easy to ride, this one had another lever, which i found out later, made starting super easy. ( a decompression lever)..I got the bike fired after about 15 almighty kicks, and left it idling up. I was so looking forward to riding on the road for the first time, even though it was totally illegal as i didn't even have a learners permit....I got out the back and onto the main road where she lived, the bike running perfectly. I pulled up at the lights and stuck my hand out to turn right. Maybe i should have just relied on the indicators...as this one act drew attention to a Highway Patrol cruiser, who was behind me. Only he was far enough back that i didn't see him. But he'd seen me. I turned right and being a 350 it quickly out accelerated everything round it. The feeling was nearly as good as what i thought sex would be like. (close) lol.....I was going along great , the road is a two laner in both directions. So i was ducking in and out of the traffic moving along real well. About 3 k's down the road I came upon traffic lights..and I pulled up...I was sitting in the line up..and i looked in the mirror...Guess who...2 cars back and the driver looking right at me...The lights went green and instantly his lights came on...The intersection i was at is rather large, about 10 car lengths across, I was 2nd from the stop line...the car infront motored off and i went with it. Being a local kid I know all the laneways and short cuts...Next to the railways line is a walking track. i knew a bike could fit down it, and there were no motorbike block rails on it as they hadn't been invented, besides this was the city or close enough to it, that motorbikes weren't considered a problem. Even though as soon as the cops saw them they stopped em. Easy money i guess, all motorcycles riders are tarred with the same brush..law breakers. Now it could have been that this cops lights came on for some other reason. But being young I wasn't taking any chances..I came up to the walkway and the traffic coming the other way wasn't anywhere near me, So I made a right turn mounted the gutter easily , and screached down the lane...The cops hit the siren..yep it was me they were after...But i was away...They had to go up to the next street and follow me parallel...with a rail line in between...I could see them and they could see me...but there was no way they could get too me..I looked over and the Highway Patrolman was shaking his fist at me...I just kept going...I crossed over 2 overhead walkways, and they were keeping check on me...It was then I heard other different sirens..They were attempting to box me in...They knew as well i as knew the walkway came out on another street...and they were making sure I had no where to go....i crossed over the 3rd walkways it was on a rise...I made a jump landed hit the brakes stopped and made a u turn...Because i made the jump the cops thought i was going to run the gauntlet up ahead and took off faster than i was going.... I went back and roared over the the overhead, crossed the lines and went up another street. i looked and saw the brakes come on the cop car hard and he must have stood on em cause smoke came off the tyres. But i was away up a straight street. Uphill, i flew...turned left at the top and down the hill..at the bottom i turned right...into my grandfathers lane...I could hear the sirens and panic rose in me...down the lane i screamed...going through the gears... I turned into the driveway and low and behold the garage door went up...in i flew and jammed on the brakes. Down came the door behind me...I looked around and my grandfather , drew his index finger across his throat...i killed the engine. Next thing a polcie car roared up the laneway...I sat on the bike petrified cause i had been revving it so hard...it started too ping....as bikes do when the heat exchange is no longer there. They went past....then hit the brakes and reversed back, slowly..my heart raced and my grandfather walked up and said just sit there, and don't make a sound. The pinging sounded like a carnival...it seemed so loud. I heard my grandfather walking around outside...Next thing...I heard . "what officer...a motorbike..sorry haven't heard a thing...I been in the garden all morning. I would have heard it had it been around. Yeah o'k if i see one i ll call in..Fine bye then....i heard the car drive off. I got off the bike putting it on the sidestand..took off my helmet and stood there...the pinging didn't sound so bad must have been my imagination...what wasn't my imagination was the ass kicking i copped off my grandfather, who had me trapped in his garage with no escape, route! i looked at him whilst he was doing it...and asked why....why he roared. i just lied to the Police!
