The Emotional Thread that Ties us to Motorcycling

[Gone Cat]

Can you help me identify the reason we riders like to ride so much and there are so many people who won't touch a two-wheeler? Could there be a clear reason? Why does motorcycling cut such a large swath in many of our lives despite the dangers and the tsunami of negatives we get from wives et al.
What drives you to ride? At what age did you fall in love with MC's? Did a family member turn you on to it? Did you think that a motorcycle would help you meet girls? (to put it mildly). Do you enjoy being different from the rest of the people on the road? I wonder if all riders spent an unusual length of time on bicycles when we were quite young. Hmmmm? What's going on here?
Why are we this way?

[Hedge]

I ride because my mind clears of all other thoughts! The noise of life gets turned off for a few hours and I can just enjoy being in the moment!

[Curt955i]

Personally, When I was a kid and I figured out how to master the two wheeled beast without the aid of training wheels, I became hooked. I bought my first motorcycle as a joint investment (78' Yamaha YZ80) my brother and I each saved up $50 of allowance and brought her home. Ever since the first twist of the throttle I have known that I will always be a rider.

I have had times in my life where I didn't have a motorcycle, but I always had a pedal bike, and always had the yearning to ride. Last summer I broke one of these motorcycle dry spells by buying a 1995 Honda XR 650L. My step brother crashed it 2 months later near the end of riding season rendering it in need of about $1000 worth in parts. It was very close to the end of riding season, so I told him to send the money when he had it so I could fix the bike during the winter months. He still hasn't sent me a dime and I get pissed off every time I look at the bike.

On the bright side I set a goal for myself this winter, I saved $9000 and bought a my 02' RS With 10 000 km that looks like new. It's my first real street bike and I've been on it everyday since I brought it home. I am complete, Now if I could just get around to fixing my dual sport

I believe that in my case I was inflicted with the riding bug at such an early age that it is impossible to ignore or remove. I would have it no other way

Curt

[TriumphTengu]

Cagers. Fear.
Bikers. No Fear.

[Kframe]

Well, I was gonna cut and paste from a couple very loooong essays but that's just a waste of bandwidth.
Here is one link, http://www.ianchadwick.com/motorcycles/whyride.html and if you are good with google you can find many more.


For me, it boils down to this:

In a car, it is just like watching more TV.
Images seen through glass with metal borders.

On a bike, I am IN the world. I pass through it, it passes around me.
I am involved.

I am.


Kris

[johnnyb84]

Something I've been thinking about is the fact that for the most of the past 4000 to 6000 year, the fastest thing your could travel on was a horse. Think of the intense and interdependent relationship we've had with the horse for centuries. We've bred them, raced them, worked them, fought with them and traveled the world with them.

Now, within the past century, clearly the fastest thing you can swing your leg over and ride is the motorcycle.

Maybe our relationship with the "beast" as Curt said and "riding" as everyone has said hasn't died but metamorphosed into a love for another entity, the motorcycle.

Just my thoughts.

[HiDesert]

Without my grandfather, I might never have ridden. I remember riding with him as a young child, and he left me his bike when he died. The 'don't let the chance for this much fun pass you by' gene got me on it and riding. The better I got (and there's a long way to go in that regard), and the more I could lean, and the father from home I rode, the more hooked I was.

I love the adventure of being hundreds of miles from home on a bike. I love the fact that riding a bike well takes far more skill than driving a car, and not everyone is cut out for it. I love the sound of the engine under load ripping up a curvy mountain road. And I love the people with whom I share this wonderful sport.

[Curt955i]

There are two types of people. The adventurous ones and the sheltered ones... I guess riders are people of the adventurous variety

[Tbirdnz]

I like the open air, being outside in it at speed and the skill it requires to get the most out of your bike. No matter how long you've been riding the enjoyment never diminishes. I got thoroughly soaked riding over 200km in a storm last Sunday but on Monday morning the sun was out and so was I.


---------------
Ride on !

[miker]

Originally Posted by Kframe

Snip .....
In a car, it is just like watching more TV.
Images seen through glass with metal borders.

On a bike, I am IN the world. I pass through it, it passes around me.
I am involved.
I am.
Kris

Kris, you really should credit the writer when you plagiarise their work. "Zen and the art....." If I'm not mistaken

It is, however, one of the best descriptions of why a person rides. The other? Ask a dog why they hang their head out the window of a moving car, they're the only other beings who might understand it.

Mick