Bikes are amazing, crazy-assed pieces of technology that'll give you the best buzz this side of an F-18 fighter jet. But if you're anything like us, you might end up spending a lot of mundane time on your wheels and not enjoying all the adrenaline pumping antics they have to offer.
Commuting to work, riding two-up with your good lady to a restaurant or rolling into town to pick up some batteries are all less than thrilling sportbike events. Hell, if you're not careful you might end up like one of those Harley-riding "banker bikers" who cruise slowly around town in shades and cutoff shorts.
But we've got the answer. Here's our top ten list of great things to do on a bike before you die. Some are pretty easy, while some will take a bit of effort, but you'll be so stoked when you cross each one off the list that you won't regret the effort.
1 Get Your Knee Down
If a Martian landed on Earth and only knew of sportbikes via magazines, it would probably imagine that bikes only move if the human on board touches his knee to the ground. Some sort of electrical grounding maneuver perhaps?
But like anything, until you do it, it can seem like a pretty difficult task. Especially on most US road networks, where "long and straight" rules over "tight and twisty." The ideal venue is a European-style roundabout, but those are rare over here.
If you can get onto a racetrack then you're in the perfect place. If not, a large, empty parking lot would suffice.
The basics are to be cornering at a decent pace (at least 30-40 mph) and hang off the inside of the bike, sticking your knee out Be sure to wear some knee sliders though (preferably a leather suit).
In a parking lot, set out some markers (soda cans would work) into a long, smooth curve. If you have space, set up an entire circle. Ride up at speed, slide your ass off the inside, bend your leg down and out, and turn into your bend. If you don't hear and feel asphalt under your knee, try again, adding a little bit of speed and/or lean angle. Slowly building up speed will warm your tires and get you into the groove too until eventually it happens, and boy what a great feeling it is. Once you get the knack you'll never look back.
2 Ride In A Foreign Land
We're tempted to exclude Canada and Mexico here, as they're too easy to access. So you're going to have to get to Europe and rent a bike. The UK is good because of the language but the weather is often miserable (and they ride on the wrong side of the road too). With that in mind, somewhere like Spain, Italy or France is a better bet weather-wise, and you won't have to risk taking off down an English motorway on the wrong side and into oncoming traffic.
Bike rental is a specialist area, but there are some very good operators. Ducati and affiliates offer some great riding tours around the Bologna factory and there are sportbike tours that run through the French Riviera as well.
If you fancy something more adventurous, a number of firms run riding tours through India and even Nepal.
Google is your friend here and you'll find what you need in a snap. It'll be an experience that you talk about for years, and beats the socks off a vacation cruise to the Caribbean.