On two wheels

I am pleased and proud to report that the unfortunate and painful meeting of my body with the road earlier this year has not discouraged my nearest and dearest from donning helmets and jackets to take up two wheeled transportation. Holding helmets from left to right, my dear friends Dave, Nat and Viv stand triumphant, graduates of the compulsory Learner's Course which confirms their competence to ride a 125cc motorcycle below 25km/hour in a car park. Having learned to negotiate orange witches hats (or traffic cones depending on your continent) they're about to be unleashed on the roads of Sydney - with Nat on my motorcycle!

I take it as a positive sign that their instructor, Graeme, appears to be smiling in this photograph and I'm confident that my friends (and my bike) will be just fine. When asked for words of wisdom the best I could come up with was the voice of recent experience: "Bikes are fun, and roads are hard."

I'm still umming and ahhing about buying a bike here in the USA. I remain loyal to my love for my dream Ducati Monster 695, but I am having something of a holiday romance with the Buell Blast. It has a remarkably low seat, very handsome styling and just the cutest little price tag. I spotted one in the carpark of a local mall and developed quite a robust fantasy about bundling it into the back of the cream puff. I just don't know if my image could take another blow. To drive a Volvo is bad enough, but a Harley-Davidson* as well?

*The Buell Motorcycle Company is a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson Incorporated.