Riders on the road – what unites them all?

Many choose to ride motorcycles: some all year round, some just on the brighter days. But have youever wondered why we enjoy taking our bikes out for a spin? Or why we often end up thinkingabout riding? I have stumbled upon similar musings several times and I think I might have justfound an answer that is true for most.

The feeling of freedom

Power, noise, instantaneous response, agility –keywords often used to describe one's motorcycle.The factor that unites all of these qualities is whatriders often refer to as the 'feeling of freedom'.There is something in our deep instinct-drivenbrain that makes us seek power, speed andmastering the controls of something beyondourselves. In a modern world, motorcycles arecapable of providing just that. The lightweightmachines pack such a concentrated positiveexperience punch that we, the little organicaccelerator-brake couplings, simply can't getenough of it. Did motorcycling become one of the drugs for today's society?

It's not all about mind boggling speed and roaring exhaust pipes, though.. The feeling of freedomcomes in many forms. For me it's evident evenwhen I freeze on my way back home due toforgotten gloves or get soaking wet throughoutmy journey. I would still repeat it over and overagain. Although nature can be harsh, being soclose to it, so exposed to the surroundingenvironment, brings out the natural explorersdeep within us. The oncoming wind on ourbodies and cold showers bring us back to the realworld. A world where there's just you, your bikeand the road. It's so empowering and liberating tostep out of your comfort zone and take on newchallenges and routes. Not to mention going forlonger tours: just you, the bike and fellow riders.

A guaranteed thrilling adventure – something nocar trip can compete with.

Riding – for your body and soul

However, being free does come withresponsibility. Knowing that our own life is in ourhands, drives us even further to discover theunknown and experience things anew. Not tomention all those times we try to cut a corner onlyto find ourselves lost, tracking back through thewoods. Free riding enables the rider to disconnect

– focusing just on the road and the bike forces me to forget my daily worries that otherwise keepbuzzing around in my head. It's a meditation of sorts. Becoming one with the RPMs of yourmachine. Body and mind in one place at one time - Zen.

Motorcycle – a commuter's best friend

Enough about free-roaming and exploring. Can we feel free while riding the daily commute towork? On a road where we know each and every bump, pothole and recognise the mail deliverytruck? Absolutely. As soon as your mind loosens up and has time to run in parallel with the riding,something I call 'therapeutic riding' begins. Now, thoughts start to surface, whether inspired bysomething I saw or the smell the wind brings. My brain gets carried away – riding an adventuroustour of its own. The switch between the two – focused and therapeutic freedom must be somehow connected to theRPMs, though. I've noticed that as soon as I approach 8000 or so (I ride a light bike) - my brainimmediately pauses the thought train and concentrates on the motorcycle.

Freedom in the garage?

So we have already discussed the raw power of motorcycles,two-wheeled exploration and the joys associated withmotorcycle commuting. But how about when things slow downand everything becomes still in the garage, just the metal tickingaway – cooling down after a hard day's work? We, motorcycleowners, have the joy of being able to inspect the engineeringbehind our machines so easily.. Everything is accessible, storedin a beautiful shell – available for us and our technical minds togo crazy about.Despite the fact that maintenance may be expensive bothfinancially and time wise, just being able to see all of thatmachinery that carries you on hard terrain and along twistingroads – liberates. Not to mention the endless discussions onlineand bike events, where all motorcyclists can be as passionateabout riding as they truly are.

So next time you greet a chopper, supermoto or an old-timer rider coming your way, don't forget –you two are much more alike than it meets the eye. Freedom in its many forms comes pre-installedin every bike and I have yet met anyone who'd refuse it...