Cobra World : An Invitation to A Motorcycle Club - Seersha Heart

           

Cobra World is a premier motorcycle club in world.  I had the opportunity to speak to one of their Road Captains, Zach, about what a club is like and what makes Cobra World so special.  For anyone who rides a motorcycle in world and for those who want to ride a motorcycle in world, Cobra’s is the place to start your quest.  One of the wonderful things offered by Cobra is a beginner’s bike for only 1L and lessons on how to ride.  Although they sponsor special days for interested prospective members, if you want to be part of Cobra show up at their SIM any time and speak to whomever is on the SIM [link at end of article].  Cobra World is a very welcoming place to all.

            I have zero experience in motorcycling in world, no that isn’t exactly true.  I have ridden a motorcycle into the water and given up.  Yesterday I found a renewed interest in riding after I tried a little with Road Captain Zach.  First I had to learn a few new vocabulary words to understand what he was speaking to me about.  When you are taking your first look at their motorcycle club [mc] and are just hanging around the SIM, not attending any rides or any events, you are called a “hang around”.  When you decide you are interested in being a prospective member you become a “prospect”.   Prospects join in the rides and in all events if you are online at the time.  Prospects also go to church.  Another new term, “church” is a meeting.  So a prospect does all the things they would be doing as a member for a while.  The goal is to get to know the members of Cobra while they get to know you at the same time.

Membership to Cobra comes when the members vote you in and you become a patched member.   

As a Road Captain, part of what Zach does is books their rides and runs certain events.  One of those events is the ‘Learn to Ride Event’ I mentioned earlier where they promote helping people learn how to ride and to handle a motorcycle and give them a view of this awesome mc.  Their rides take them on the roads of SL as well as to other SIMs where there are tracks.  At their SIM they have three tracks that wind around the SIM gradually going into the sky.  I had the opportunity to ride on the back of Zach’s bike up all three tracks.  There is a place to stop mid-way along where there are shops and areas for kicking back.  I figure this is where the experienced bikers wait for we beginners to catch up.

The mc has relationships with other mcs in world.  The various mcs will allow another mc to ride on their SIM.  This happens fairly frequently providing quite a diversity of tracks to explore.I learned another important fact about the club, if someone rides along behind you they do not have to be a club member. 

This lead me to an interesting dialog with Zach as I thought well….

Seersha Heart:  do you ever use your bike to flirt with women?

ZACH:             well maybe a few times lol

Seersha Heart:  bet it is a chick magnet *laughs*

ZACH:             yes chicks love bikes, most of the time I get along without having to bring the bike out

            Zach invited me to the Cobra World SIM to take a look around.  I landed near their community board near a well-marked Rez Zone.  Off to one side was the $1L bike for beginners and those who didn’t have a motorcycle to ride.  Some of the Cobra members are builders and build bikes.  Zach is learning to build bikes and sounds quite excited about it.  It was time to see Zach’s favorite bike a White Stallion by Silvercloud bikes complete with painted white stallion on the gas tank.  When he told me he was going to “whip it out” I became cautious as in world that could mean a lot of different things.  However, he produced his bike and was demonstrating the animations that came along with it.  His bike can take a rider so the animations worked for a two animation as well as a single animation.  He told me it is no harder to drive with two than it is with a single rider.  I did manage to make him laugh with this question…

Seersha Heart:  does size matter in a bike’s performance?

Zach:               no with bikes no

Seersha Heart:  *laughs* good to know

            I spoke to Zach about their mc on a wide range of questions.  I learned that the demographic of the club is about even men to women.  To become a Road Captain, he had to finish a lot of rides and express interest in the position.  I asked him what advantages someone would have to being a member of Cobra World instead of riding alone.  He said that at Cobra they are all family.  He also emphasized that when they ride together it’s like you are riding with your family and you have a great feeling of pride.

After seeing the clubhouse and the SIM up close as well as having such a knowledgeable guide, I decided to give driving a try.  I must say Zach has enormous patience.  He offered his own bike for me to try driving.  It wasn’t until I was actually driving that I thought I should have told him I didn’t know there were gears to shift.  He may have suspected my lack of experience when I asked him “how did I get into reverse”.  Well, irl the bike would have suffered, in world I was actually able to drive a motorcycle better than I ever had before.  I did not run into the water, and I listened to Zach’s advice.

            If you are thinking of trying to ride a motorcycle or a seasoned rider, Cobra World is definitely a place to visit.  The SIM is well lain out, they have a clubhouse and a close relationship with members.  Stop in and give it a try, you won’t regret dropping in on them.  They are super friendly and always open for new people to come along and join up.  This writer is not giving up on riding yet, I plan to be a “hang around” for a while and see what happens.

Contacts:

SURL:http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Zandvoort/16/162/1208

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/CobrasMCWorldSL/