The pandemic got to me – I had to develop a new skill and was looking for something to do. Motorcycles have always scared me so, after some careful consideration, I decided to take a class and move forward – directly at the fear.

I took a two-day beginner course at Evergreen Safety Council – a local motorcycle training and endorsement agency. I successfully navigated the course and earned both my permit and formal state enforcement – this is the form phrase for a 2-wheel motorcycle license. Although a little shaky and scared at first, I was able to ride a bike within 10-minutes. The bike feels heavy, especially if one is comparing it to any experience they’ve had with bicycles. After developing an understanding of the controls, how to steer, brake, and maneuver, the fear I had started to subside.

With my endorsement in hand, I rolled into the motorcycle shop and purchased a new bike.

The Yamaha XSR700 is considered a mid-level bike. It’s powerful but easy to ride. It’s light, easy to straddle, the controls make sense, and it looks ok.

Revzilla did a great review of the bike:

I did a lot of research to find this bike. I learned about the different types of bikes (Cruisers, Sport bikes, Naked bikes, Touring, Dual Sport, etc.). Check this out if you’re interested:

My next step: Customization!