We love our motorcycles but sometimes it’s hard to describe why. Apart from “it’s fun” why do we do it? AMERiders gives you a few more reasons why riding a motorcycle is good for your constitution. It’ll make you feel alive like nothing else, that is for sure. Also, if you think you have heard us talk about riding is good for you we have done at least two posts about it.
Cold
Unless you’re a regular Arctic explorer, or you take the T into Boston and then walk more than ten blocks from South Station in late January on the regular (kind of the same thing) you’ll never experience cold; that is, real, true, bone-chilling cold that gets right into your soul, like you will on a motorcycle. Sure, most of our rides are well-planned and on warm days. Sometimes, we’re caught unprepared or the weather takes an unexpected turn and there we are, on the road with that wind piercing us and chilling us right through to our very spine.
Ever see your turn coming up, knowing you’ve got to pull in the bike’s clutch but just not being able to move your hand off the grip, you’re so cold? That’s an adventure. When you still haven’t warmed back up two days later you’ll know you’re a real motorcyclist.
Bugs
You’re probably getting plenty of protein in your diet. Most Americans do. But have you considered the environmental impact of meat? That’s where bugs will help you get “greener.” You can ride motorcycles and eat bugs and be only vaguely aware of exactly what kind of bug it is that you’ve just eaten. Usually, you’ll only know if it was soft or crunchy. You’ve certainly never experienced quite that flavor profile before. Sometimes the bugs are helpful enough to get into gaps in your riding gear you didn’t know you had, and sting you a few times just to make sure you don’t forget to secure that zipper next time. Fun! Again we find more reasons to ride a motorcycle.
Smells
For sure you’ve ridden past some flowering bushes and caught a whiff of that gloriousness, but you haven’t really lived until you’re in Pennsylvania in October riding past miles and miles (and miles) of farmland that has just had pig shit, I mean biosolids, spread all over it. That’s the real motorcycling experience. Circle of life, you know? You’d swear that poop gets permanently installed deep in your sinuses because even when you’re past it, you can still smell it. Days later, you can still smell it. Years later, the memories haunt you… Again we find more reasons to ride a motorcycle.
Road Kill
Nothing gets you up close and personal with, um, the bare facts of biology like stopping at a red light and putting your foot down into an opossum that someone else has recently inverted. Truly, high school biology class has only lightly prepared you for the stark reality of a spread of day-old intestines all up close and personal. If the red light is a long one, you can also experience the joys of the carrion flies and marvel at the way nothing is wasted in nature. There’s no better way to get right up onto the realities of existence.
People
Let’s face it, motorcycles are a social lubricant. People just want to talk to you when you’re out for a ride, especially if you’re far from home. You can be at a completely deserted gas station and someone will inevitably find you to ask intelligent and poignant questions like “did you ride that thing all the way here?” and “how do you hold that thing up, isn’t it heavy?” and the classic “is that bike yours?” There’s really nothing like getting out into the non-riding public for a reminder about just how smart most of the population of the planet is. I bet you’ve already run into so many people who used to ride, or whose uncle had his leg chopped off by one o’ them things! Again we find more reasons to ride a motorcycle.
Economy
Oh, dear reader, you’re gonna save so much money. First, you’ll need to buy a motorcycle, but if you live in the snow belt, well, no, you can’t replace your car with it. But it will get better gas mileage than your car! But only if you ride a smallish, economic bike, and your car isn’t a hybrid. You’re not done yet though, because you’re going to want to buy a helmet and a riding jacket and some decent boots and probably some riding pants because you’re going to get caught in the cold or the rain some time, and after taking a good, long look at that road kill you’re having a very Zen moment of self-realization about your riding gear. And then that other jacket is on sale and it might be a little better than the one you already have, and that helmet with the new graphics you love just came out. Also, whoever only has one pair of gloves? And you’re going to need luggage, and a better windshield, and maybe some hand guards. You’ve got to get a set of frame sliders, too, because really those will save you money in the long run. That carbon fiber hugger will look really good on your bike too…
Adrenaline
When was the last time you had a proper adrenaline shot? If you like amusement park rides–not the dull ones but the ones where you’re pretty sure you’re going to die you’re going to love motorcycling. It’s like a roller coaster that you get to steer. Except, there’s no track and you’re sharing your ride with oblivious commuters every day! What could be more fun? Every once in a while, and that’s the fun part: you won’t know when; someone will completely ignore the fact of your existence and the laws of physics, all at once. Boy, that hit of adrenaline that shows up after you’ve navigated out of there (and perhaps given that driver some good life advice) sure is a rush, isn’t it? Then the shakes kick in! Woo!
~And as always…
~Live Free Ride Hard~
~AMERiders
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Let AMERiders keep you up to date with More Reasons to Ride? It’s Fun and Who Doesn’t Need Fun?
And as always don’t forget to send us your stories, pictures, and events for posting to GALLERY.AMERIDERS @ GMAIL.COM and we will post them for you. The more people that know about your event the better and we are offering free advertising. We would also love to hear about your rides and love to see those bikes so send those stories and pictures.
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