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Why do you ride?

R

riffraffracer

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Location
belmont
Moto(s)
cr250,crf450r
Name
Dwayne
Everyone has various reasons why they ride. For me it is part Zen and a related second part, pushing the limits. The Zen for me is living in the moment. Pushing the limits further increase the need to be 'living in the moment'. I tend to be REALLY focused when pushing the front going into a corner.

I have never given too much thought about the reason I ride, but looking back, the type of riding I have done reflects the reason. I ride mostly on closed circuits. I equate limit pushing as a known factor. I have seen the 'feature' (corner, jump, rise,...) before, and make a conscious decision to do something different to go faster (or make a pass). This is opposed to unintentionally pushing the limits on some feature that I have not seen before. With that said, I have heard that I ride 'over my head' too many times to count.

Currently, I ride on motocross tracks with a group of guys I have known for years. We know and trust each others ability and 'hard' moves don't end up taking the other guy out. We rides with transponders that are used to compare lap times, lines and view animations of our laps. Adds a different dimension to our lunch conversations and smack talk. I will add another reason I ride; friendship.

Why do you ride?
 
I ride for enjoyment and adventure. I get a kick out of hustling my bike down the road as a pace that is fast enough to thrill but conservative enough to leave room for error / the unexpected. I also ride for adventure, I like experiencing new roads and places, and I find the experience on a motorcycle is more engaging than a car. I like the feeling of accomplishing something whether it's a long day, and long trip or just pushing past my comfort zone, on dirt that generally means doing something I didn't think I was capable of (even if most accomplished dirt riders would find it easy). But the main thing is, I should either be laughing or thinking weeeee inside my helmet, and at the end of the day I enjoy the feeling of a few beers while reminiscing over the ride and, on a great day, knowing another riding day is just a good nights sleep away.
 
When I started I rode because it made a 9 yo feel really good about controlling a machine and it was amazing.

A little later in my teens I rode to feel the Zen, but really did know it was the Zen that drew me in. Made me feel like a bad ass smashing berms, clearing jumps, wheeling around town and occasionally that would include escaping from a performance award.

After college the Zen included a ton of training so I could be competive on the MX tracks I was racing on and the whole dedication to the sport. The moments of living in the moment was becoming defining.

Hitting the roadrace courses like the OP it was even more Zen because of the focus that is demanded by such a risky sport. I felt like a fighter pilot while racing and the bad ass feeling of adrenaline inspired focus was awesome. While not being thrown around for eqo's sake sure did make me feel good inside and knowing my kids were feeling their Dad was bad ass was really cool. The commraderie among many of the racers was soul filling in many ways too.

Since then the combination of track days (now over) and street rides provided so many moments and the friendships are different because of the passion involved.

Now being more of a travelor who still wicks it up here and there... the moments keep coming and getting to share them are a wonderful part of my existance.

I ride because I love the flow, taking control of the machine like when I was 9, the passion it takes to do it and the moments of Zen that fill my lifes wallet of memories.
 
Riding is something I enjoy for many reasons, it was how I got to work for I don't know how many hundreds of thousands of miles. Motorcycles allow for social participation while also being alone.
Mostly I ride as a means to disengage, riding forces my brain to settle and focus, the byproducts of which are countless.
 
I like the Zen thing as well. The ecosystem of riding is like fluidity through constant change, e.g., its enjoyably visceral. My background is bicycling, and I like riding in bad weather where few are out or perhaps finding a hillside to watch a storm move in. Having nothing to do but ride a motorcycle for 6 or 7 hours on a given day calls to me.
 
it’s an escape for me on many dimensions- and these depressions change depending on the mood, physical state (tired, not tired), company around me, but at the of the day for enjoyment, sport, relaxation(adventure is) it makes me feel really good about everything else i do, makes me feel like a better person i guess
 
For me, it was a load of fun, first most. It was also challenging with a huge helping of freedom.
 
In a car, you watch the world pass by—a framed picture through glass. But on a bike, you are in the picture, a part of the landscape itself. The scent of freshly cut grass clings to the air as you glide past a newly mowed field, the warmth of the sun giving way to a sudden chill as you cross over water. Every curve, every breath of wind, every shifting shadow isn’t just seen—it’s felt.
 
I like the convenient format mechanical aspect as well as the riding.
Built and rebuilt many bicycles before my first MC - literal basket case Kaw 175 Bushwacker. Got it running.
Never have been into competition or speed.
I like touring and going to see "What the hell is that! - Oh, I know what that is. - What the hell is that!"
And the Zen. Sometimes the Zen gives you a whack with the stick.
Supposedly you're more likely to learn something from that.
 
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I have experienced the zen, and also the dark side, , ,
Take a shop Moto mechanic that everybody knows and respects.
Find him among side the muddy trail, bikes scooting by, wrenchin'
His Tiger Cub won't run anymore.
Beating his bike with a stob. A gnarly tree root of considerable girth.
Fully aware that he has to walk out, anyway.
This happens, when "The Prince of Darkness" electrical systems short out,
for your VERY last time.
 
I ride daily because it is SOOO much more fun than driving.
Also, as a moto commuter, I cut my commute in half, saving me time, as well as money on gas.
That gives me more time with the family, & more money to buy farkles and training.

Also, I seem to get kinda depressed when I go without riding my bike for any period of time...
 
I tell people I was having a midlife crisis but not the money nor space for a Porsche, but knew I needed to do something equally stupid. (I turned 30 the day I took the MSF)

But the real answer is that I was getting sick of having to look for / pay for street parking all the time, and my work's building has a dedicated, mostly unused zone for bikes and bikes so I've rarely had to pay for parking in the past decade plus.

I do miss when I go extended periods without riding, though
 
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