Living the motorcycle life means many things to different people. There are roughly 550 brands of motorcycles and 37,000 models to choose from, with 600 million or so on the road. Each person who rides one of those bikes has chosen their bike for their own reasons and needs. Some for pleasure, some by necessity of where they live and commute. Some riders started out on minibikes as a youngster. Then moved onto dirt bikes and off-road bikes. Many then buy cruisers or sport bikes. Some will buy three-wheel motorcycles by personal preference or to offer a more stable ride for their later riding years. There are several brands of scooters that will top 60 mph! Whatever your needs or tastes, there is a bike out there for you.
My Motorcycle Journey
For me, riding was something I always wanted to do. One of the members of my fire department had been riding his whole life. He discovered there was an international motorcycle group whose members were firefighters and EMT’s (shout out to redknightsmc.com). He knew I had recently purchased a bike and asked if I would be interested in joining the local chapter. Soon, myself and four other members of my department joined the local chapter.
Being a member of a club expanded my motorcycling horizons. We participated in annual club conventions, motorcycle rally’s, poker runs up and down the East Coast and countless events and gatherings with other clubs. The more motorcyclists I met, the more I learned how diverse bikers are. One of the great things about the club I was in is that it didn’t matter what make or style bike you rode. All that mattered was that you rode a two or three wheeled motorcycle.
The Motorcycle Brotherhood/Sisterhood
Yes, brotherhood/sisterhood! (For easier writing, I’ll just use brotherhood here) Just as it doesn’t matter what type or make of bike you ride, it also doesn’t matter what gender you are. Whether you ride yourself or prefer to ride on the back (or in a sidecar), you are part of a brotherhood. Being a member of the fire department most of my life I am familiar with being part of a brotherhood. It didn’t matter where in the country I was, when I stopped by a fire house the members there were the same as family.
You can be riding by yourself and pull up to a red light where another bike is waiting, and you acknowledge each other with a nod or a few words. Stopping to fuel up and there are several other bikes there you almost always spend time checking out each other’s bike or just shooting the breeze before moving on. We tend to gather in groups. You see bikes parked outside a place to eat and you tend to stop there because it must be good!
I’ve had people who know I ride ask me why motorcyclists wave or flash some symbol with their hands when passing other bikes on either side of the road. “You can’t know all those different people” they’ll say. Suppressing a laugh, I explain how all bikers know each other simply by the fact that they are riding. Extending your left arm down with two fingers pointed to the ground means keep the rubber side down, keep both wheels on the ground. Motorcyclists greet each other as a symbol of camaraderie.
Why Do I Ride a Motorcycle?
I prefer riding my bike over driving my car. Of course, weather permitting! I’ve ridden my bike in 110-degree Arizona heat, in 20-degree snowy New England weather and driving, rain but overwhelmingly in beautiful temperate sunny days. I’ve driven by myself or as part of a group of 3 or 4 to hundreds of bikers. Camaraderie is a big part of why I ride. It’s not only the riding, it’s the time you spend with other bikers.
Riding my bike is a form of therapy for me. When I sit on the bike and start it up, I start to feel the daily tensions and stress start to melt away. Sometimes I’ll listen to music as I ride or just listen to the sweet sound of my motor purring (purrs can be low or loud!). There is no better way to experience the world you live in than from the seat of a motorcycle. From sunrises to sunsets, through the tall pines of the Adirondack region of New York to the Grand Canyon in Arizona and everywhere in between.
It’s Not For Everyone
I’ve heard people say, “I’ll never ride a motorcycle”. The reasons they give will vary, but typically they fall into a couple of categories.
There not safe reason – many people would rather have thousands of pounds of steel and plastic surrounding them and wouldn’t feel safe sitting exposed on a motorcycle. While automobile safety features have made driving a car safer, so have safety features for motorcycles. Anti-lock and linking braking systems have greatly helped reduce skidding accidents. There are now some models that offer an air bag!
An experienced biker knows is that you have the ability to predict hazards. Anyone who has taken a motorcycle safety course has heard the acronym SIPDE. Search Identify Predict Determine Execute
- Search – when you ride you are always aware of your surroundings. Checking your mirrors and keeping your head on a swivel.
- Identify – look for possible hazards or conditions. A car driving erratically or driver on the phone. Children playing on the sidewalk.
- Predict – someone in a parked car may swing the door open, not seeing you. A distracted driver may change lanes without signaling. You see brake lights ahead and traffic may slow quickly. A child may run out between parked cars.
- Determine – after predicting possible hazards you determine what course of action you will execute. Start slowing down early if you see brake lights ahead. Move to another lane if someone is driving erratically near you and separate them from you with distance. Expect one of the children to run into traffic or a parked car door to swing open in front of you.
- Execute – follow through with the course of action you determined to avoid the hazard.
I don’t know how to ride reason – If someone is truly interested in riding there are many motorcycle riding schools offering classes for new riders. The availability and pricing make taking a course affordable and available. Many offer motorcycles to use in different styles and sizes since most people do not buy a bike first then learn to ride, or don’t have access to a friend’s bike.
Riding a motorcycle is not for everyone. And that’s fine. There are many interests and leisure activities that I will likely never participate in. Not everyone needs to ride a motorcycle. And seeing how some people drive their cars, it’s probably better they don’t ride a motorcycle!
The Motorcycle Life To Me Is…..
The motorcycle life to me has opened up a part of my world that I may never have known or understood. The brotherhood and camaraderie that I have experienced is something I will always treasure.
I have met and enjoyed the company of many people during my lifetime. Through school, as a firefighter, getting married and adding new family members and friends. When I began riding, I never anticipated how many great new friends from all across the country that I would meet. Seeing parts of this country from the seat of a motorcycle is far different than the view from inside a car. A much better view!