Motorcycles can be fun — or scary — depending on how you look at it.

Mostly scary, according to a lot of people and my mother…. every time she finds out we’re riding, she announces that she’s going to take out extra life insurance on us.

I don’t know what good that would do us, but she’s determined that somehow it would help.

I was a little apprehensive when I first decided to climb on the back of the doublewide husband’s motorcycle (does that make it the doublewide motorcycle?). It took some getting used to. I felt like I was sliding off the thing every time we went down a hill – or down our own driveway. I stopped counting how many times my helmet banged into the back of his helmet when he stopped and I wasn’t expecting it, or when he changed gears or any other time there was opposite movement of what I was expecting.

I finally got used to riding and enjoyed cruising around the back roads seeing all the rural sights. Some of those were truly “sights”. I’m talking out in the country where people tend to feel a little freer. I was good with sticking to the little curvy roads and gave strict orders for him NOT to take me out on the four-lane where the cars moved a lot faster and closer to me.

So, after getting used to the four-lane … I specifically said, “Do not take me to the interstate on this thing.”  Where did we go next?? I still don’t like motorcycle riding on the interstate with the tractor trailers and wild drivers being just inches away, with no metal or even plastic around me. Yikes. I just don’t think about that part too much.

Really funny things can happen when you’re out on a motorcycle, too. Like when the doublewide husband rides with a sleeveless shirt and a leather vest. He might also have a few tattoos. People in Subaru’s (or Honda’s or Audi’s — I’m using it as an example, so don’t everybody  get your nose out of joint) automatically think  you’re some kind of outlaw biker when you’re riding a bike and have tattoos.. Heck, I’ve thought the same thing and I drive a Chevy.  People in cars don’t realize they can be heard over the roar of the motor, saying things like, “Don’t stare. Keep your eyes straight ahead and don’t look at him. Maybe he’ll leave us alone.” Then he decides to play along and have some fun with it…

Motorcycle riding can be pretty exhilarating. You get to smell all the road smells up close and personal. (that’s not always a good thing) The nighttime sky looks bigger and brighter too. I’ll probably keep riding as long as I can hang on. Or maybe I’ll eventually have to somehow tie myself on so I won’t slide off.

To make things even more exciting, I might have to get a tattoo. Then people would think I’m a big, bad motorcycle outlaw. Or not. I don’t really look very outlawish. My helmet’s easy-slide sun visor probably doesn’t help my “biker” look either. I do have a leather vest and chaps, so that counts for something.

Anyway, if you see us out on the road riding around, don’t be afraid to wave and say “hi”. We’ll be nice, even if you’re in a Subaru (or a Honda or an Audi…).