Having a Motorycle is A Lot Like Having a Dog

  I love my motorcycle dearly; there's a lot of fun involved in riding and working on my bike.  The thing that I realized quickly after learning to ride is that there's a lot of work required for a motorcycle.  I have to take care of my bike, keep it clean and ride it often.  I can't let it sit for too long.  I also have to ride often to keep my skills sharp and to avoid fear.
   All these feelings are the same as when I asked my parents for my first dog.  My parents didn't discourage me from getting a dog, but they made sure that I knew of the responsibilities involved.  My Mom and Dad don't ride motorcycles so they only knew the danger factor involved in riding a bike.  Of course, there is a dangerous side to riding that I realized before getting a bike.  But, I learned a while ago that risk is relative and the risk of riding is worth the freedom it allows.
 I've loved motorcycles for a long time, but I'm still fairly new to the world of riding and ownership.  So I'm learning that a basic knowledge of bike maintenance is an absolute necessity.  This is also true of pet ownership.  You don't have to be a veterinarian to own a dog, but you have to know how to feed, walk and care for your dog.  The same is true of motorcycles; you don't have to be a mechanic to ride a bike, but a basic knowledge of motorcycle functionality is required.
  I'm grateful for every day that I get to ride and I'm learning new things every day.  There's been setbacks and the learning curve is pretty steep, but that's all part of the journey.