Dan Merfeld
608/575-1066
dan@theorythree.com
www.theorythree.com
v0.3.4
Dan Merfeld
608/575-1066
dan@theorythree.com
www.theorythree.com
v0.3.4
For the better part of this year I have been spending time fulfilling a dream of mine, to start my own company. So it seems logical that I also took on a few other unfulfilled dreams with my new found motivation.
My most recent accomplishment has been to buy my first motorcycle. I had heard from a few friends that Wisconsin offers a great motorcycle safety class which was worth checking out, they provide everything one needs to get the training that would lead to a license.
The class, offered through MATC, consists of three full days of training. The first day takes place in the classroom, they teach from a level of complete novice on up. They cover the basic components of the bike, basic safety considerations, and of course some rules of the road. Upon completion of the class, you are required to pass a fifty-question test, which summarizes what you've learned that day.
The second and third day are a bit more hands-on. For those days you're actually on a motorcycle putting theory into practice. A motorcycle and safety gear is provided, so all you have to do is show up.
The experience is designed to be confidence building to first-time riders. Students start off moving the motorcycle across the parking lot in first gear with feet down. This exercise is designed to get you comfortable with the clitch. For those of you who don't know, a motorcycle is mannually driven, and completely opposite of a car, in that the hand operates the clutch and the driver's foot shifts from gear to gear.
By the end of the day, everyone is weaving in and out of cones on the motorcycle. Shifting, braking, turning, and swerving all get practiced through a series of training exercises designed to steadily build confidence and proper technique.
On the second-half of the second day, the instructors informed us what was going to be on the driving test. Four exercises we had practiced that morning and the day before. We were given about an hour to practice, non-stop, the maneuverers in preparation for the test.
Everyone passed the driving test, and before you know it, I had my certificate. I still had to pass a 20-question test at the DMV, but that was a simple road block. I feel the class had prepared me for the test and I felt ready to go.
After getting my license, I was anxious to buy my first motorcycle, and by the end of the week, I was staring at a 2000 Yamaha R6 bike in my garage. There's something about a fulfilled dream that calls a reaction of surprise at the ease of accomplishing what seemed previously impossible. In all, this occupied about 4 days, and I can honestly imagine it impacting the remainder of my life.