The sun’s rays danced over the golden sky while a daring, young Edward Provensal sat on top of a miniature dirt bike with his tiny fingers gripped over the handlebars, grinning with a rush of adrenaline as he prepared to take his first ride. This moment ultimately sparked his love for riding and forever changed his life.
“I’ve been riding dirt bikes since I was about five or six,” Senior Provensal said. “I rode my stepdad’s little dirt bike when I moved here in first grade and have been riding ever since.”
Flash forward to present day and Provensal rides a 2000 Honda Shadow 1100cc V-twin motorcycle to school through rain and shine. He enjoys the speed and agility of his motorcycle and also appreciates the perks that come with riding motorcycles, such as the ability to dart nthrough traffic and to cut between lanes–although he often receives dirty looks.
“I’ve pretty much taught myself how to ride,” Provensal said. “However, because I’m under 21, I had to take the motorcycle safety course for two days.”
With increasing gas prices, many people are searching for innovative ways to save money at the pump. Fortunately for Provensal, his motorcycle gets better gas mileage than cars. However, Provensal’s unique choice of transportation to school has elicited reactions from fellow classmates.
“People from school used to be surprised when they saw me on a motorcycle, but not anymore,” Provensal said. “I like riding it to school but it can get pretty scary since everyone drives pretty crazy in the morning and no one is really looking for someone on a motorcycle.”
With motorcycles, the risks of injuries and crashes are always present. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11 percentof American roadway accidents involves motorcycles.
Provensal has been hit once and has dodged accidents countless times. His most memorable experience involves a lucky encounter with an oblivious driver. However, Provensal believes that riding motorcycles is not as dangerous at it seems.
“The most memorable experience is probably avoiding running into the side of a car that didn’t see me and turned right in front of me on my way to school,” Provensal said. “But, I think they are safe as long as the rider has had practice and knows what they are doing. I know it doesn’t take much to lose control of it.”
Provensal’s family also shares his passion for motor-sports. During his younger years, his family used to attend shows at Irwindale Event Center, a motor-sports entertainment facility located in the center of San Gabriel Valley that features all types of racing cars. In addition to Irwindale Event Center, Provensal has also attended a few motocross races at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
Although Provensal is a motorcycle-lover, he’s also a fan of cars. He admits that there are certain advantages to driving a car instead of riding his motorcycle.
“The motorcycle is fast and uses less gas, but the car has A/C in the summer and a heater in the winter,” Provensal said. “I can listen to music in the car since its illegal to wear headphones on the motorcycle.”
For Provensal, his passion for motorcycles is undeniably clear. With his future right around the corner, he has already decided on his mode of transportation for the next journey of his life.
“It’s pretty important to me. If I do go to college, then I might take my motorcycle depending on how far from home I am,” Provensal said. “It’s the cheapest vehicle we have to drive. It’s my main vehicle.”
ILLUSTRATION/Catherine Tran
PHOTO/ Serena Lin