Unlike a car that leans to the outside of a corner and struggles to maintain its former direction of travel, motorcycles lean into corners, engaging the flow.
Motorcycles? Practical?
What about practicality? Over the years I’ve carried a turkey, two-by-fours, a dozen roses, crutches and a bookcase on a motorcycle, but even I haven’t tried transporting an infant or a major appliance. But how often do you really use the cargo capacity of a four-wheeler? Not often, judging by the throngs of single-occupant vehicles choking the roadway, wasting gas and time hauling around a sluggish, three-quarter-empty steel box.
Finally, there’s the favorite of mothers and fathers everywhere: danger. On a motorcycle you are more vulnerable and you’d better accept that fact and ride accordingly. I always ride as if I am invisible to the sea of cars around me, because all too often it’s true. I wear a helmet, jacket, boots and gloves regardless of the temperature or length of the ride. You might think it’s a hassle just to reach the corner store, and it does take more time than slipping on a seat belt. For me it is an important ritual, a reminder I am about to engage in an activity with a fair amount of personal risk. Donning my helmet triggers a pre-recorded message telling me I’d better be alert if I don’t want to end up as a hood ornament.
Risk is inherent in motorcycling, but it can be managed and turned into an advantage, one that I think is the real long-term attraction of riding. A new rider must gain experience, since at first everything you have is spent just keeping upright. Gradually, shifting gears and scanning for Dozy Joe Auto blowing through a stop sign takes less effort as your brain adjusts to a new sensory plateau.
Engaging the World Around You
While motorcycling you are still fully engaged with the outside world, but the rest of your brain is free to explore paths otherwise unavailable. With your mind free of rigid supervision and self-awareness, all sorts of problems get solved in the background and tension evaporates. Exactly the opposite happens in an automobile. Driving makes so few demands on our minds and bodies we go on autopilot. How many times have you driven to a familiar location, and arrived only to realize you don’t remember large parts of the journey?
Need another rationalization regarding the two-wheeled wonder? Motorcycling is a resounding social plus: reduced traffic and parking congestion, better fuel economy and fewer noxious emissions. Motorcycle ownership should be a Green party litmus test. Sadly, these benefits are lost on the majority of Americans, whose opinion of motorcycles seems to be forged solely by watching Marlon Brando tear up a small town in The Wild One. This shared sense of being outcast and knowledge of how much fun we’re having leads to a sense of community among riders. Have you ever seen two automobile drivers wave to each other because they were driving? For me, waving to a fellow rider is nearly a daily occurrence. The horror, the horror…
Freedom. Fun. A clear mind and a clear conscience. These are all powerful reasons for staying in the saddle. But an even simpler truth about motorcycling keeps me coming back for more: I always feel better after a ride than I did before.
An avid bibliophile and lifetime motorcyclist, Steve John has raced in various motorcycle series and events, including stints in multiple classes at the Isle of Man TT.
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