Last night, after working until dark, I jumped on my motorcycle for an hour’s ride. I’ve always enjoyed riding at night. Somehow, it makes me feel like I’m getting away with something. The dark enhances the sense of speed, and maybe a little of the anonymity.
The invisibility of a motorcycle in daylight is bad enough. You have to be twice as careful to be seen at night. And not thinking about how much I like to ride at night, I have a black and silver motorcycle, and all my gear is black, so I’m probably three times more invisible than a car in daytime.
For a while, my love of the night ride had waned as my vision got worse. I’m over 40, and it’s pretty well known that night vision suffers as we age. I know mine has. I felt like not only was I invisible, but I couldn’t see danger coming, either – a frightening and potentially lethal combination.
But I’ve realized something: I don’t have to go fast at night to enjoy riding in the dark. I can ride at six- or seven-tenths and still get away with something. And I’m not a road snail at that pace, I’m still generally wanting to be faster than traffic, or the suggestion signs on the side of the road. (You know, the white ones with the big numbers.)
An attitude adjustment still lets me get away with something.