Riding a motorcycle can be exhilarating!
In my opinion, it’s the closest feeling to flying. I am not talking about a commute to work in traffic with its constant start and stop. When you are out on an open stretch of highway with no traffic and the wind rushing by, it feels as though you are hovering above the road. Just being in a moment that feels perfect, exciting, peaceful, and complete!
You don’t have that feeling in a car per se. Riders outside in the open air can feel their surroundings on a motorcycle, the sun beating down or gently warming them, and the cool air as they ride over a waterway at night.
You don’t experience those things in a vehicle as you do on motorcycles. I can describe it as a personal feeling of freedom.
Why is it exciting? Part of it is the exposure to the elements. The command of a responsive throttle also propels you faster than you may have gone before. When you get the speed and the clime together, you have your senses stimulated in a way not imagined before. Yes, an individual can do things on a motorcycle that cannot be done in a car. For now, I’m speaking of things with both wheels on the ground, not burning off tires, and in compliance with local traffic laws.
One could have similar emotions on other conveyances of two wheels, but not at the level a motorcycle gives you.
Most of you will never feel the elements riding a bicycle like you would on a motorcycle. Sure! a scooter will get you there, but only a few will take you down a freeway safely, and your senses get new stimuli from riding.
Let’s talk about these senses:
- Sight: you will notice how light posts blur by, and the sky looks bluer and bigger.
- Hearing: to be honest, other than the wind whipping by and the engine humming, you don’t hear much of anything else around you; this gives you an element of isolation; that is peaceful.
- Touch: you feel the air rushing by, the sun warming, which can turn into a burn, real quick. Even at night, the cool or warm air makes you feel open.
- Smell: think for a moment about when you go outside and smell the air; now, with that in mind, everything comes more direct at you. This is not always pleasant, but it comes with the ride. For example, riding through a fruit orchard in bloom is fantastic, riding past a large farm with cattle is not!
- Taste: is the one sense you should not experience on a motorcycle. One should never ride around with their mouth open! When riding, one of the downsides is insects. If you don’t believe me, take notice of your windshield when driving a car. Having hit my fair share of bugs, I can tell you they are messy and sometimes painful. Insects are one of the few things you might taste while riding. I suggest skipping the taste of an open road adventure! Stopping for a bite to eat being the purpose of a ride to nowhere, enjoy it!
Why is it peaceful? Most times, when riding, you are by yourself! You learn to put the distractions away when you’re riding. The focus becomes the road. Whatever traffic obstacles may come your way, your focus is still on the road.
You might daydream for a second while enjoying your surroundings, but you quickly learn your target is the road ahead. With that particular goal, everything else goes away for a while, anyway. This gives you a peace of mind that is not cluttered with your everyday worries. Now, technology is a joy, and Bluetooth is available to use. The odds of having an in-depth conversation while riding down the road are unlikely. So other than listening to some tunes while riding, talking on the phone doesn’t happen very well or often.
There are different motorcycles out there; this article focuses on on-street riding. Off-road riding is another type of fun. It also can be exciting and dangerous, and with the exposure that comes with two wheels, there are risks. We all take some level of risk in our lives that is acceptable to us. Should everyone own and ride a motorcycle? No, there are people whom I have met who should never ride in public, on the street, or around other people; they just aren’t safe. Is riding for you, maybe, maybe not? That’s a personal question that you would need to answer. There is nothing wrong with riding the bus. But if that is your comfort level, and you like adventure and are responsible enough, maybe a motorcycle might be for you.
