Why do we ride?

[OneTrack]

I was talking to a (non-motorcycling) friend the other day about motorcycles, and (invevitably) he said he would never ride a bike because they are dangerous, and anyone who does is "nuts".
Yeah...I know...we have all heard that statement many, many times before and will hear it many, many times in the future.
But when I had some time to really stop and think about it.....why on earth would we engage in what is (arguably) one of the more (if not most) "dangerous" pastimes....not just once in a while, but on a daily basis? I put "dangerous" in quotation marks, as "danger" is a relative concept.
While I regard my first years of motorcycling with fondness and arguably as the most exciting years of my life (next to the army), I have to also admit that they were without doubt my most painful years. Two severe crashes into cars and two "come-offs" did damage that I am now reminded of on a daily basis now that I'm in my "mature" years.
I returned to bikes last year after almost a quarter century of abstinence, and am enjoying it very much. I know that I don't even begin to take the chances that I took as a fearless, immortal 18 year old on my old Bonneville scorching through Surrey and Hampshire in England, lost in the illusion that I was emulating the GP hero's of the day, with little regard for my (or anyone else's) safety.
I now enjoy motorcycling for the sake of it....that is, for the beauty of the machine itself (the FZ6 responds to being tarted up with tasteful accessories like none other), the sound and the fury of the ride (albeit tempered with a modicum of decorum these days), the wind, the sheer thrill of "controlling the beast".....in short, it may have its element(s) of "danger", but it's FUN.
So.....despite the very obvious "dangers", is that why do we ride...for FUN? Is it as simple as that?

This is a great write up. I agree, the dangers associated with motorcycle riding are a relative part of how the rider engages in our sport. I have been riding 44 years now and like you have been down but lucky for me have yet to have any serious injury or broken bones. Hurt? Yes but nothing broken.

I enjoy riding for the beauty of it all. The smells, scenery and feeling of being all alone with just my own desires for the ultimate fun. I have never used my bikes to commute so I can't speak for that side of things. To me, riding is an adventure and there are millions of miles of roads just waiting to be chased and enjoyed.

Riding isn't for everybody and to those that don't ride their only association with our sport may be the crash they saw last week or the rider they saw doing some insane thing promoting the worst in what they consider all of us. Either way I suspect I will ride as long as my mind and body will tolerate it. At 56 I'm still going strong and there is a lot more open road to be investigated.

[Whitey Dodge]

The rewards outweigh the risks involved. Having been in a hospital for 66 days, as the result of a moto accident, I speak with some authority on that. I ride because I enjoy it.

To your friend that thinks it is dangerous, tell him this, "Some people confuse breathing with living." I wish I had thought of that statement, but I can't take credit for it.

[Hellgate]

Excellent post.

For me my year in Iraq put life into perspective for me. I saw everyday, good people trying to simply feed their families and send their children to school. That is all they wanted. I am lucky enough to live in what I consider the best country in the world. I've traveled all over Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and while each part fo the world offers wonderful things and wonderful people, I am so fortunate to live in a place that has virually unlimited freedoms and possiblities. Yes the U.S. isn't perfect but I think as Americans we take it for granted.

To digress just a bit, in 2005 I took my Army unit to Romania to train with a Romanian Infantry Battalion. Many of my Soldiers are poor kids from the Dallas area who complain about not having this and that and how bad their lives are. (But few do anything to improve their lot in life, the Army will pay for the University education if they wish.) Once we got to Romania we saw horses pulling wooden carts and people who had nothing material but the clothing on their backs. My Soldiers told me that they didn't realize how poor people really could be and how good they have it in the US. One old Romanina woman was crying, saying, "After the end of the war my parents told me, the Americans will come just wait. This is the happiest day of my life." She waited 65 years.

So what does this have to do with riding a motorcycle? I am able to afford to enjoy a sport I truly love and I enjoy the happiness that my little FZ brings me. I enjoy how free it makes me feel, even in stop and go traffic to and from work. People who don't ride will never understand that. My friend who owns a Miyata is the only one. He enjoys just to drive with the top down.

So after spending a year knowing full and well I may die at any second I put my fear of riding aside. I had almost died about 19 years ago in a racing accident and I realized that, as you put it, "There is much more to life than breathing."

[DefyInertia]

Originally Posted by Whitey Dodge

To your friend that thinks it is dangerous, tell him this, "Some people confuse breathing with living." I wish I had thought of that statement, but I can't take credit for it.

+1

I plan to arrive at my grave not in a pristine perfectly preserved body prepared for more sleep, but rather sliding sideways, busted up and bruised, exclaiming "that was one hell of a ride!". I can't take credit for that one either.

[reiobard]

My philosophy is this:

If you live your life scared that something might happen, then nothing will ever happen.

[FZ6inNH]

Originally Posted by reiobard

My philosophy is this:

If you live your life scared that something might happen, then nothing will ever happen.

That is perfect! Well said!

I ride because I am a safe driver and trust my skills and have a ton of fun doing it. I look forward to the road ahead every time I throw a leg over the seat. My undoing will come at the hands of another driver, I'm sure. But using the above philosophy, if I was to dwell on that and never ride, then I'd never enjoy myself in life.

Life each day like it's your last....

[JONAC]

Great thread ....

I think its the freedom I feel when blasting around the twsties ...

The grin factor is impossible to describe to a non biker !!

[Jeremiah]

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” - Stephanie Marrott

Different people have different risk tolerances, and different things that take our breaths away. Explaining motorcycling to someone who doesn't "get it" is like explaining the joy of smoking (yes, I said it) to someone. It's just not going to happen. For many of us, riding is a complete joy, and sense of freedom. There's many hobbies that I'll never "get" (fly fishing, ship-in-a-bottle building etc) - they do their thing, I do mine. Now if those fly fishermen would just quit trying to run me over...

"Every man dies, but not every man truly lives." - William Wallace

Originally Posted by reiobard

My philosophy is this:

If you live your life scared that something might happen, then nothing will ever happen.

FEAR (false expectations aren't reality.) You can't know about something if you have never truly experienced it. People ride a bicycle from childhood and without a helmet too. Why then would they not find the same joy from trying a motorcycle? This is beyond me...