So I went riding again on Friday morning after finishing a few things!

It was extremely enjoyable, the roads were mostly empty. Only a few cars at the time so I was able to navigate around them easily. Started it off at the gas station filling up the tank. These bikes require 98 octane to operate, and if you put lower ocatne fuel the bike’s throttle feels very jumpy or choppy as if something is wrong with the engine. Just so everyone gets an idea why they specify high octane fuel.

So I took the sixth ring road all the way down to bide3/salwa, and i basically followed that all the way to Abraj al Kuwait. A few times the road was empty I would try a few different things with the bike, like seeing how it handles specific corners. And how it handles in traffic. I really think this is the perfect bike for these roads, and people’s driving skills. Randomly on the road there would be pot holes, dirt, and other types of debris.

The Road:

One thing when riding always ride relaxed. Be confident, and ride smoothly so you can react to unexpected situations. And in Kuwait assume the worst of people’s driving skills. Another point to riding, and those who ride probably have heard this again and again, keep your head up when your turning. Look where you want to go, if you keep your eye on a tree, sign, or car your probably going to head for it. So look ahead of it to try and plan ahead.

What you have to keep in mind is to always ride carefully on unfamiliar streets. You might have driven a lot on some of these srteets before but being on a bike you notice all the little problems become bigger problems. For little while I was thinking “I dont remember this pot hole being there, and why the hell is the road so bumpy”. Familiar streets become unfamiliar really quickly! But at least I am discovering all these little things during the morning when the streets are mostly empty.

Bike:

Riding this bike is the same as courting a women. She looks good on the outside, but you have to get to know her to get things right. And yes I refer to a motorcycle as a girl! Because if you treat her nice she will treat you even better! Well thats my attitude! Now going back to the riding! This is a BMW K1200R, which is a different bike then what I have been used to riding. People who ride this bike either love it or feel like it isnt for them. I enjoy the bike and its growing on me everytime I ride it.

So after riding for a bit, and getting comfortable with the bike to a certain degree I wanted to try a few things. I have never had a bike which has ABS or electronic adjusted suspension before. Both are options on this bike and you can get the bike without them. The road was empty and it was a straight line to the red light, so I decided to try the brakes out. And I gave it a good squeeze. It felt like it took a good bite so I started to squeeze harder, and then it was really holding but when it slipped a little the abs kicked in and it was the weirdest feeling! But the bike came to a stop. I just have to get used to it! Most bikes dip forward when you give the break a good squeeze, but this bike has a different type of forks because this bike doesnt dip forward!

The People:

Since it was morning and early afternoon riding there wasnt a lot of people on the road. A couple of guys driving, a few girls, and a few families out and about. So overall it was nice to get out in the morning. And I saw quite a few bikes riding in the morning. You notice the people who want to enjoy the ride go out during the morning. The majority of the motorcycles are Harley’s and Japanese bikes. Mostly Harley’s since they have good service a lot of people buy their bikes from them. So most of the people during the morning were nice, and werent being jerks. But the Late Afternoon riding is another story! To be continued…