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AKIRA Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo | Screenplay by Katsuhiro Otomo & Izo Hashimoto | Based on Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo
There is no way around it: motorcycles are cool.
Cooler than smoking!*
Like cars, there are a plethora of styles to suit a range of tastes. Even if you're not "into" them, you can still admire their design. Unlike cars, motorcycles are almost entirely built for an enthusiast audience. In the US, at least, cars are for utility, motorcycles are fun. The coolest motorcycle, to me, has always been Kaneda's bike in the 1988 classic, Akira. A fictional motorcycle, sure, but also a very unique one.
*This is not an endorsement of smoking. It's very bad for your health. But isn't it weird how smokers can just stand there and look totally bad ass?
I've always been drawn to sport bikes, though my general neuroticism led me to avoid motorcycles almost entirely during my early adult life. I also definitely couldn't afford one, as a motorcycle in the Midwest is a luxury item that spends much of its life in storage due to inclement weather. Several of my friends ride, however, and at some point one of them even started teaching for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Other friends recommended the Basic RiderCourse to me, and I decided to give it a shot. The idea of riding a motorcycle danced around at the back of my brain, the financials and logistics of it be damned.
I went into the course with no illusions: I was not going to be weaving through traffic or popping wheelies on I-94 at any point during or after the class. I appreciated its safety-minded approach and the opportunity to ride a motorcycle in a safe, controlled location. The course provided a mix of well-worn but carefully maintained 200 and 250cc bikes, and I spent most of my course on an old Honda Rebel. I also had the chance to ride a more sporty Nighthawk, but it was a bit high off the ground for my short stature. I'd have loved to practice on a Honda Grom, but the Rebel was comfortable and easy to manage. I started to think about how I could save up for a motorcycle. My car was almost paid off. Was a small bike in my future?
Honda Grom | Copyright Honda
The class had a mix of students ranging in age and background. Our entire class made it through the course, save one person whose nerves got the best of them (surprisingly, not me!) and another who missed large portions of the class. The instructors, one of whom was my friend, enjoyed teaching others the basics of riding. On top of everything else, it was the first time I'd used a manual transmission of any kind! Outside of navigating S-turns, I think I did pretty well. It was a fantastic experience. I started thinking about when I would buy a Grom. Should I wait for fall, when prices would drop a bit? Where would I store it?
Shortly after completing the class, I took a day of work and proudly went to an Illinois Driver Services facility in order to get an updated driver's license. I was now ready to drive a Class M motorcycle.
Knowing I was still mulling over the actual purchase of a motorcycle, a friend offered me the chance to take his Suzuki Marauder for a test ride. This was a lot more machine than the Rebel I learned on. It had an 800cc motor and was practically new. We met up in an empty parking lot. I borrowed his jacket and helmet, then hopped on. I started the bike and gently pulled on the throttle. I expected the motorcycle to begin moving forward, like the Rebel I practiced on, but it remained stationary.
"Roll on the throttle!" my friend shouted over the motor, "you're not rolling on it enough!"
Me, on the Suzuki Marauder 800, before the dark times.
So I did, but perhaps a bit too hard. The Marauder shot forward. I, however, remained stationary for a split second, then dropped to the ground and watched the motorcycle charge forward riderless before tilting over to one side and scraping across the ground in front of me. My heart was racing. My jeans were surprisingly still intact. My boots were heavily scraped along the left toe and my friend's helmet, having protected my head from the shock of hitting pavement, was now unusable. I suddenly had doubts about my ability to safely control a motorcycle outside of a closed course.
The Marauder could still drive, but obviously needed repairs. I split the cost with my friend. Not long after, my car would reveal itself to be an unreliable money pit and the cash I might have put toward a Grom instead became a down payment on a Honda Civic.
A couple years later, when it came time to renew my license, I found I'd forgotten too much to maintain a Class M license. I let the letter go. I still feel wistful when I walk past a parked motorcycle. Last week, a found a Grom parked next to my Civic when I was leaving Lowe's. I pondered what might have been before getting into my car and driving home.
N.F. Berg is a guest columnist, whose writings you may also find on his website.
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