You've finally saved enough money to put a deposit down on your first bike. All those years of instant noodles and after-hours take out has finally paid off.
You've even bought a second-hand helmet and borrowed your uncle's leather jacket.
You're a biker now, man.
But wait, did anyone tell you about other biker stuff?
1. Smoke gets in your eyes. And insects.
Driving at 100kmph is a wonderful feeling but you'll be crying tears of irritation and not joy if you're eating truck smoke all day. And insects blasting against your skin at that speed is a real pain too. Especially bees that will sting you with its final gasp of life.
You'll want a good helmet if you want to avoid smoke in your eye. The LS2 Stream Omega is a good full face helmet and so is the Shoei RF-1200, voted best in 2016 by Motorcycle Helmet Centre.
Or if you want, choose a good balaclava like the ones from Craft and REV'IT to protect you newbie skin from the insects.
2. Manholes, paint and tar snakes
Large, slick metal plates are everywhere in the road, precisely where motorcyclists need to ride or. In the rain, a wet manhole is a frozen lake. Put a foot on one and your boot instantly slips, meaning you’ll drop your bike. Hit one while turning and you're on the ground.
The same goes for road markings and road cracks with liquid tar, which become slippery strips of black ice in winter.
Your best bet is to go for specialised winter or rain tyres for your bike if you're having to face a lot of these on your trips. The Metzeler M3 Sportec is a good all-rounder for beginners or you can opt for the slightly cheaper Bridgestone Battlax BT-021 which gives you the same good grip.
3. Friends
OK, so maybe not all the strangers who'll approach you to talk about your new bike will become friends. But it's good to know that your new hobby is going to get you into a lot of conversations with a whole lot of different people.
From the old geezers who want to tell you about their Nortons and their Triumphs to young punk wannabes who're in love with your Yamaha FZ-07 or Hyosung GT250R, you never know who you're gonna meet on your travels.