Texas Adventure

Adventure. That's the reason I began this blog, to document adventures, both away from Baltimore and here at home. And that's what drew me to motorcycling as a kid. Now my idea of adventure is changing, shifting towards travel. Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's Long Way series fascinated me - I couldn't get enough. There are travel stories all over some Ducati forums I follow from time to time, including one guy's trip coast to coast on a Panigale. While my financing and career is a bit more conservative, I am still motivated to travel by motorcycle across the country. One day around the world. But, baby steps first.

My recent trip to Indianapolis on the 748 changed things. This is something that will not be a fleeting fad I'm going through. No, I have been developing into this person, this motorcyclist, since I picked up that first issue of Dirt Bike magazine at the 7/11 down the street when I was 8 years old. I was attracted to the noise, the smell, the wind in my face and the speed of riding on two wheels. And I liked riding farther and farther away from home. The barely containable excitement welling up inside me, eager to explore a new city or town - so like home, yet different. The faces change, their accents, and always the food.

While a trip across the country will take some time and planning for years in advance, and physically training for as well, I can continue to build up my saddle tolerance and experience smaller trips in the process. So I'm tentatively planning a return trip to Texas. Austin will once again host a round of MotoGP in 2014, and I plan to be there.

Route to Texas from Baltimore

1500 miles and over 22 hours. I'll give myself three days of travel, which will see me ride through Virginia, Tennessee, over the great Mississippi River, and Arkansas. Into Texas and down I-35 past Dallas I'll then arrive in Austin (via Ducati Austin, of course). The highlight of this trip, however, would be the Texas Tornado Boot Camp with Colin Edwards and his crew of Yamaha TT-R sliding instructors in Montgomery, just east of Austin and above Conroe, Colin's hometown. It should be held a couple of days after the MotoGP race for four days.

The boot camp is an instructional on how to control a motorcycle with less than optimal grip. Regardless that I'm too old to begin a career flat track racing, the school will help any motorcyclist learn to ride a bike better. And what I've realized the past few months with the Ducati is that I'm far from just rusty - I'm downright paranoid. I've lost whatever confidence I had, the five-year absence taking its toll on me to the point of trepidation when I put my head down and pull the bike on its side.

The opportunity to ride with Colin Edwards, hmm, how do I put it into words... This is the guy that put on one of the most amazing shows I have ever witnessed in road racing: Imola, 2002. World Superbike. Troy Bayliss (on the Ducati 998F01) and Colin Edwards, head to head - winner takes the championship. After swapping for the lead oh about half a dozen times, the American finally beat the Australian, and I swear it was the only time I've ever, ever rooted against a Ducati! There's a very good chance I pull a Bieber-fan and lose my cool in front of an American legend. He could have sat back and settled in behind Bayliss, second place was good enough to win it all, but his instincts threw caution to the wind and won the race and the gold. #Champion.

Locking bars and sliding bikes with Colin Edwards is worth the price of admission alone, but the opportunity to re-learn how to ride a motorcycle again and come away with some very real skills is priceless. Now I have every intention of putting something together for Sideburn magazine, Bike contributor Gary Inman's project centered on flat track racing and inspired motorcycles.