|
So the thought crossed my mind as to how much adrenaline would cost if we put a price to it. Despite the fact that motorcycle riding is an expensive hobby I still do it for that thrill and rush of excitement when I hop on my bike. So what about trying out other extreme sports? Will I be able to get the same satisfaction from them as I do with motorcycling?
My friend recently got her skydiving license, which allows her to make solo jumps, and in order to celebrate, she invited a whole bunch of friends to go tandem jumping. I was really nervous and skeptical about going at first but she kept telling me not to worry because she knows that I will love it. The only reason I would trust her judgment is because I know we are pretty much the same when it comes to seeking out new adventures and we both enjoy that rush of adrenaline that comes with it. Also, before she decided to get her skydiving license, she actually considered getting a motorcycle license because she enjoyed being a passenger on a bike. However, before she ever got a chance to ride a motorcycle of her own, she went skydiving and fell in love with it. She had asked herself... "Is skydiving something I would do more than 10 times in my life? [Considering it cost about $100-200 for a tandem jump, and the course for a license cost roughly $1400]" Her answer was yes, and since she could not afford to pick up two really expensive sports, she went on to get her skydiving license. So now here I am thinking, how can anyone pass up a chance to ride their own motorcycle? Is skydiving really that great (considering all the cost and risk factors) that it beats out the thrill of being on a bike? There is only one way to find out right? Skydiving has always been on my list of things to do, so I figured sure, why not?
So as I sat there waiting for my turn to go on the plane, I started to get butterflies in my stomach. It is funny because I could actually compare those butterflies to the same butterflies I feel in the morning right before my first session of every track day I have gone to. However, I think the most nerve wrecking part was just sitting around and waiting in anticipation for the actual jump. When it was finally our turn, it was about a 15-20 minute flight in order to reach the 13,000 ft elevation before they opened up the airplane door. As the plane rose higher and higher I could feel my nerves start to kick it into overdrive. I was the third in line to jump out of the plane and it all happened to quickly it was definitely a rush. Already strapped into my tandem parachuter, we were up and ready to go filing out behind the other two groups.
For a split second we stood at the door and I just remember looking down and holding my breath...that was a LONG way down. In a split second, my tandem jumper did a swinging motion and his momentum pulled us out of the plane. With my arms crossed tightly over my chest I held that position while the familiar sounds of the wind rushing past filled my ears. As I listened to the wind rush past me at about 120 mph I thought to myself... "You know, this isn't bad at all! I can totally do this!" The rush itself was comparable to flying down the straightaway at the track, except this was a lot more carefree! After 60 seconds of freefall, the parachute was deployed and we coasted around at about 10mph. He did some tight turns with the parachute and it was an amazing feeling of having nothing below you, yet you are still feeling as if you are leaning into a turn! After we landed, I could still feel my adrenaline pumping, but I was sad that the whole experience was all over within 5 to 10 minutes.
So now that I have experience riding a motorcycle as well as skydiving, I tried to compare the two to see if which one was more expensive. Here is my rough breakdown of the two sports:
Experience w/o license: $100-$300 tandem jump
Skydiving License Course :$1450-1550
Jump with license: ~ $20-30
Suit $300
Helmet $165
Altimeter $150
Goggles $10-15
Insurance: $50 a year (covers any damages by lost articles during jump)
Parachute $4000 (rental - $20-35 depending on location)
Duration: ~5 minutes
**2245 minimum w/o parachute purchase
Experience w/o license: a friend who can ride
Motorcycle License Course: $250.00
DMV fee +$25 for new license
Motorcycle: $2000
Helmet: $300
Jacket/suit: $300
Boots: $200
Insurance: varies
Street riding: ~$12 per tank
Trackday: $150-300
Duration: 120 minutes
**3075 not including trackdays
So in the end, it looks like motorcycling is the more expensive sport. Nevertheless, in my opinion, motorcycling does have more of an advantage. An average track day allows you about 120 minutes of pure bliss, while one skydive is approximately 20 minutes of waiting, and 5-10 minutes of actual skydiving experience. Yes, it is true that track days are more expensive than an average solo skydive, but it is also worthy to note that with a motorcycle you do not necessarily have to attend a track day to experience the excitement of riding. After buying the bike, I have the freedom to ride whenever and wherever I would like to, no restrictions and of story. (Okay, maybe a few road restrictions, but you get what I mean) When it comes down to it, motorcycling is not just a sport, but it can be turned into something that is part of your everyday life. You can use your bike to commute, split traffic, take it to the track, explore the back roads, etc etc. Now that, to me, is well worth the actual cost and expenses of riding. Skydiving was fun, and I highly recommend it to any of you adrenaline junkies out there, but motorcycling is definitely the way to go.
|
