I am intrigued by good design no matter the device. When I saw the Aprilia Shiver 750, I was captivated by the uniqueness of the design, from minimalist truss frame to triangular exhaust pipes. Pictured on the right the day I took delivery, it is outfitted with tank and tail bags to carry whatevery I please as I ride. Normally, I ride with just the tail bag when I commute to work. This style of motorcycle is called "a naked bike" because it lacks the faring which is commonly used to protect the rider from wind.
Before buying the bike, I took the CHP approved motorcycle safety course to ensure that my reflexes and balance were up to the task. Passing the course results in a certificate that not only allows you to waive the DMV testing, but it also saved a significant amount on the insurance. Probably for safety reasons, the training course is done on relatively small bikes, only 250cc displacement, a sort of VW Beetle in the motorcycle world. By comparison, the Shiver is a Porche, ready to accelerate in a heartbeat to any speed you can manage.
The Shiver 750cc is a remarkably powerful and lightweight bike: 95 horsepower at the crank, and only 415 lbs wet. I took delivery after waiting nearly 4 months for the first shipment of Shivers to arrive in the USA from Italy. The sea-going cargo passed through customs in Georgia, and then my bike (among the first in California) was trucked to the dealership in Livermore. Because I was not familiar with how the bike would handle, I chose not to take the Freeway home. While it would have been the most direct route, it would have required driving over 70 mph just to blend in with the aggressive traffic on Hwy 580 and Hwy 680.
Taking the back roads through a rural valley toward the city of Danville, I was having a wonderful low-speed adventure. New brakes are "grabby", so I was learning how to brake with just one finger on the lever when I encountered an unanticipated obstacle to my journey. Arriving at a T-intersection and planning to turn left toward Danville, I saw what appeared to be hundreds of women on bicycles dressed in various costumes. Most included some form of a tutu, petticoat, sparkly leg warmers, ball gowns and even gaudy costume jewelry. Some of the women had what appeared to be magic wands. This event turned out to be the annual "Cinderella Ride", and I was the only motorized vehicle in the mix.
The road was narrow, no bike lanes or shoulders to speak of. So the bicycles were occupying the paved lane where automobiles would normally travel. Many of the women were riding two or three abreast, deep in conversation and oblivious to my presence. For safety, I turned on my emergency flashers and drove about 15 mph or less beside them traveling in the same direction. I did not use my horn for fear of upsetting one of these magical storybook characters who might have turned me into a mouse, or a newt, or something equally inconvenient.
As I passed small groups of them, I think they perceived me to be an escort of sorts. This was an acceptable arrangement, though I was mindful that every blind corner could have produced an unintended collision. At one point, we did see EMTs and an ambulance administering to a heap of Cinderellas who had apparently lost control on the abrupt edge of the pavement and tangled with the barbed wire fences mere feet away. I did not count the number involved, instead remaining focused on not having a collision of my own.
Eventually, we reached Danville where the road opened up into 4 lanes with proper bike lanes for the Cinderellas who had made it that far. I exhaled for the first time in many miles. Suddenly, the freeway didn't seem nearly as dangerous as what I had just been through. I took the northbound on-ramp and found that in 3rd gear I can accelerate from 30 mph to 80 mph in just a few seconds. Quickly shifting up into 4th, 5th, and finally 6th gear, I settled in to cruise mode behind an 18-wheeler car carrying truck. I knew no automobile driver would want to be behind that truck, so my strategy was to follow the truck until I reached my exit. This plan worked perfectly, and I arrived home with my new Shiver, grateful for the experience.
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