Whoo, cute new motorbike!

And, Dad was right -- riding a motorbike in the city is a whole different ball game than riding around a tropical island. Of course, I knew he would be right, I just had to experience it for myself. The roads surfaces in SF suck, it's cold, theft is common, and I don't trust any of the drivers. But insurance is reasonable and it makes for very easy parking. And as I slowly get over my nervousness, I've having more fun riding it.

The scooter has no name yet, I'm working on that. Right now I just call her Sweetie or Baby, but I think something more creative will present itself soon enough :-)

The funny thing is, I'm already having motorbike envy, drooling over the cool sport bikes that. Footshifters....mmmm.....footshifters.....now, that is what makes riding fun. My bike is an automatic, 125cc, and it's fast enough for me as a beginner in the city, but automatics are just not as fun as manuals. But the bike I truly want does not exist in America at my price range. The Honda Wave (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Wave_series), one of the most popular bikes in Asia and Europe, is not sold here, but I don't know why. Maybe they don't think that scooter riding Americans could handle a manual shifter.

I've also got the world's greatest jacket - a full, all weather, padded motorcycle jacket. It's a bit much for a mere scooter, but I love it anyway!

Pics of the gear to come later....