Visceral...

 

It's a good word.  It has several different feelings; my favorite is: guttural and uncontrollable, an innate cue that you're feeling an extreme emotion.  Like: "butterflies in your stomach" or "feelings that you find difficult to control or ignore."

I've talked about that "tingle in the belly" that I feel when we're coming back home after being gone for a while; or getting to an anticipated destination.  It's my inner self telling me something good (or bad) is about to happen.

It's also a word I've used to describe what riding a motorcycle or scooter feels like.  It isn't always easy to describe: wind in your hair (not so much with a helmet), knees in the breeze, leaning into a tight corner, accelerating out of a curve.

I've heard other riders describe it as "being one with the bike - the shifting, the clutching, the acceleration..."  I certainly get all of that.

This will probably sound silly to someone with a rip-snorting bike, with a loud exhaust, and hopped-up performance... but, I've had that feeling on every bike I've owned.  Yes, including the Honda PCX scooters we had.  It was those scooters that renewed my riding pleasure... I really was about ready to be done riding before we got those.  I've said it before, but those first scoots were Joan's idea.  I often think she knows me better than I know myself.  I thought I would be embarrassed riding a scooter, but they turned out to be a ton of fun.  And we even came to appreciate "taking the back roads" and staying off the highway as much as possible with them.

I had motorcycle friends ask, "Don't you miss shifting - that feel of controlling the bike?"  No, I didn't miss that at all.  And my deteriorating hip was real happy to not have to mess with that.  After getting the hip replacement, my sailing buddy Steve suggested I take out his wife's 500cc motorcycle.  It was the first time I threw "a leg over" a bike since we bought the scoots.  Yes, the muscle memory brought back the clutch and shift lever control without a thought.  But, it didn't add to the ride.  I was happy to get back on my Vespa and "twist and go."

A couple years and a couple bikes have passed.  A day without riding feels like something is missing.  I wondered how I'd feel about making that move from a Vespa to the Honda CTX 9 months ago.  It has been a good transition.  The CTX is a marvel of Honda engineering, with the dual clutch transmission.  You can drive it like a "twist & go," or you can shift manually with paddle shifters.  It really was a good transition after 9 years (really - it was that long??) with the PCX and a couple Vespas.

I rode Joan's Xmax last week - it's a great scooter; peppy and easy to "flick around."  Comfortable, too.  And practical with the big underseat storage and great gas mileage.  But after 9 months with the CTX, I found myself waiting "for the shift."  That visceral feeling as you anticipate the shift up to the next gear.  A bit stronger and deeper exhaust note.  Yes, I am perfectly fine without a clutch lever and a shift lever... but I do appreciate the feeling I get with that dual clutch transmission with the CTX.  Instead of the smooth CVT transmission of the scooter, there are still gears that are engaged/disengaged - you feel the upshift and downshift with the CTX.  As you come up to a stoplight, you feel the bike downshift, unlike the automatic transmission in your car.  Except, you don't have to pull in a clutch lever or click down through a shift lever as you come to a stop.  And pulling away from the stop is always smooth; it can be docile or strong, depending on the drive mode you choose.

Viceral.  It's a good word.

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Feel the Rumble...

Speaking of visceral: While Joan was at the store today, I felt and heard a rumble.  A RUMBLE!  It lasted about 10 seconds.  I had to look it up: yep, SpaceX did a test static firing of their Booster 7... 14 Raptor Engines.  Static tests are not uncommon, but it has been a while since I heard or felt one...

We are about 5 miles as the crow flies from StarBase.  We can't see it from our house because there are other houses in the way.  When I ride my bicycle or go for a walk, I can see the StarBase from the end of the block.  When there is a test launch or test static fire, you know it.