Reasons to Ride

The following is a celebration of two-wheeled travel, including testimonies from motorcycle riders of all stripes and photos of my own trusty V-twin machine.

"Riding a bike removes the need for clutter, toys, rubbish that other men have to take on holiday. If I want adrenaline, I'll rush a giddy overtake, not rent a Jet Ski." ~ Dan Walsh, Endless Horizon

"Anyone interested in better connecting with the physical world should try motorcycling. Despite practicing plenty of other adventure sports, none feeds me more simply, playfully and excitingly than motorcycling. That's probably why, in my dreams, I'm always riding." ~ John L. Stein, contributing editor, Motorcyclist magazine

"Sensory overload- to feel the suspension working, the tires gripping, the engine trying to suck the bike out from under me and the brakes trying to launch me over the front, often all at the same time. That's the reason I ride." ~ Derek Brooks, motorcycle product planning manager, Yamaha

"I love the feeling of working a gyroscope back and forth through the twisty stuff, whether it's pavement or dirt. Something about that flow you feel and the way the throttle and brakes can influence and enhance that flow will keep me coming back until the end of time." ~ Adam Craig, mountain bike racer and 2008 U.S. Olympic team member

"Reason to ride? Is there a reason NOT to ride? There are fears, perhaps, but reasons? I think not!" ~ Bill Berroth, president, Sidi/Vemar importer Motonation

"Riding is a sublime combination of the cerebral and sensual. It's always challenging and satisfying." ~ Dave Roper, noted vintage racer

"A motorcycle inspires individuality, creative expression, personal challenge, camaraderie, fun, adventure, high art, relaxation, meditation, therapy, thrills (cheap or otherwise), a history lesson, a time machine and a sense of oneness with the universe. It also gets me where I need to go!" ~ Mike Stone, guitarist, SpeedX

"Riding is simple - you take only the barest essentials and strap them on your ride. It is freedom: to see, to think, to move. You see the whole of the land as it drifts by, you feel the heat, the cold, the rain. Travelling the country by motorcycle is for anyone who has ever dreamed of being the drifting cowboy of 150 years ago." ~ Myself :)

*All quotations except the last are from Motorcyclist Magazine, May 2009