so i've been practicing riding around neighborhood every 2~3 days for a while now.
i feel more comfortable on the bike.
still scared sh1tless in high speed heavy traffic. like the other day, going downhill on 70km/h road, this jackhole in blue toyota was tailgating me... thankfully disappeared into traffic as we merged onto another road.
anyway, question for you guys. how do those helmet communicators work? i have to wear ear plugs cuz my helmet's loud at 70+, so do these helmet communicators just blast sound with speakers inside the helmet, and you can hear over the wind noise and ear plugs?
do noise cancelling earphones work instead?
another thing, i'll try riding for a while yet, but unfortunately, i have not found feeling of excitement or freedom in riding. more a chore than fun.
i think it may be partly due to having relatively fast-ish convertible, cuz i can just pop out in flip flops and shorts, listening to V8 noise, exposed to sky while going faster than my cruiser bike and being way more comfortable. maybe if i started riding when i was younger, i would feel differently about?.. not sure but something i ponder about lately.
Did you take the course? That can go a long way to helping you feel confident handling the bike, but you only get comfortable riding in traffic by riding in traffic. Being scared shitless at the outset is pretty common. I don't feel that way at all now. Definitely wary - that's essential - but not scared. My wife is in the stage where traffic still makes her a bit nervous, but she's come a long way in that regard just in her first season.
As for enjoyment, if you don't love it then you don't love it. I
do love it - and I definitely didn't start young - lol! Riding motorcycles has made cars seem comparatively boring to me - and I've never found a particularly increased enjoyment from convertibles in the past. Different strokes. It's a bit of a faff dealing with all the gear all the time, but I literally get off the motorcycle and can't wait for my next ride. Having nice country roads close by definitely helps. And having friends who ride is a HUGE contribution to my enjoyment of motorcycling. Bike meets and such are also a big part of it - the rider community is pretty awesome. And having my wife as a frequent riding partner is the best thing of all.
Different type of bike could bring a different type of experience. And off road riding is a huge draw for many. If I found a personal leisure activity more of a chore than fun, I probably wouldn't be doing that activity for long.