Why We Ride: The Danger and Joy of Motorcycling

When you've poetically described your ride as a mindful dance between you , your machine and the open road , how the wind becomes your melody and the road becomes your verse , how the world opens before you when you ride , and that feeling of being fully alive , like that wild , untamed spirit that lives within you , and your friends and family respond by saying you

know , I saw on the news the other night that a motorcycle rider got killed out there . Yep , got hit by a truck . I can't imagine what that would have looked like . You know those things are so dangerous . I don't know why you do that . You know you should just sell that thing and go buy a nice set of golf clubs .

Ugh , yeah , we hear that a lot , don't we ? We hear it all the time , and they're right in some ways . While I would argue , if motorcycles are dangerous , I would agree that riding them , yeah , can be . We've got to forgive

them , though , and not get mad , because they're just concerned about us , right , and that should be appreciated , yeah . Or if they're not concerned about us and they're telling us that because they think we're total idiots , well , either way they're making an observation .

So unless you've been convinced that riding is just too much of a risk to your health and you've decided not to ride , then the rest of this episode is probably not for you . But if you're like me and the happiness pull of riding is just too strong , then we've got to figure out what to do to make the ride as safe as possible without impacting the fun .

Is that hard to do ? Well , kind of , but it's getting yourself prepared and protected for a ride that's absolutely worth it . It absolutely is . Well , let's talk about that . Thank you for joining me today . Thank you for joining me today . Recorded in beautiful Loveland , colorado .

Welcome to Peace , love Moto , the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful , easy feeling as we cruise through this life together . Are you ready ? Let's go .

They're right . You know Riding a motorcycle can be a dangerous thing to do , and especially when it comes to dealing with the unexpected . And you may think you're in total control out there , like a professional moto-GP or motocross racer like you see on TV . But you know what's different ?

They're riding on a closed track , for one thing , yeah , they're well-positioned to push the limits and , yeah , everything's different . Pretty much , race tracks usually don't have high school students who just got their driver's license cruising around out there .

No one on the racetrack is scrolling on their phone and race courses are kept totally free of debris , even free of oily patches , and free of rocks , and most certainly free of animals . I'm reminded when I lead tours in Rocky Mountain National Park with Green Jeep Tours out of Vestas Park .

I'm in the front of the Jeep , driving with a headset on , and I'll typically have 10 to 12 guests in this open air customized Jeep and yeah , it's a very cool situation . And yeah , it's a very cool situation .

Sometimes my guests will ask about where and when we'll see the animals , and I kind of jokingly tell them that , well , unlike the jungle cruise ride at Disneyland , where you know where the animatronic animals are all the time out , here we have no idea , because what's different is ?

This is reality , this is the natural world , and the animals will roam wherever they want to . Now I realize that I'm probably talking some of you out of coming out here to Colorado for a ride , but I want you to know too that there are very , very effective ways to minimize the risk to your health if you do encounter something that's

unexpected . A large part of minimizing the risk is riding smart , not pushing your limits , and , in my opinion , a large part of minimizing the risk is riding with the right gear .

On dressing for the job , knowing the difference between dressing for a walk on the beach and dressing for a thrilling motorcycle ride through the Rockies yeah , I must admit it's just mind-boggling to me when I see people who have no clue how to dress for a motorcycle ride . Oh , my goodness , I'll bet you've seen it too .

I saw it just last week Some dude riding his motorcycle with a full-faced helmet and a leather jacket , then below that with a full-faced helmet and a leather jacket , then below that what looked to be like a bathing suit and sandals . I make it a practice to be kind to people , not to judge others .

That dude was such an idiot and I'm sure you've seen the same thing Like someone wearing full riding gear with no helmet . It's like thinking , well , if I fall , I'm sure that I'll hold my head up in such a way that I won't impact the ground or a tree or anything else . Yeah , good luck with that .

As I listen to myself , though , I know that I'm coming across . This is coming across as a lecture , and I also know that a great majority of the listeners already wear the full gear helmet , jacket , gloves , riding pants , riding boots , all of that stuff .

So this may be just a reminder or some good advice that you can give to someone else that you might like out on the road . Well

, it starts with respect , I think Respect for the machine and an understanding of its capabilities and limitations , and an understanding of your capabilities and limitations and an understanding of your capabilities and limitations .

It extends to a respect for the road itself , you know , recognizing these ever-changing conditions and , crucially , it means having a deep respect for other people out on the road , whether that's a car or a bicycle , or somebody walking or animals , like we described too . Safe riding is about being present .

It's about scanning your environment constantly , anticipating potential hazards , making proactive decisions . It's about leaving the distractions of everyday life behind and focusing on the here and now . We've talked a lot about that , haven't we ? The last couple of episodes ? 100% focus , 100% zoned into what's happening all around you all the time .

Now , this wisdom of safe riding also extends to your gear . Just as we described , it's very much tied to our mindset too . It's about knowing your limits your physical and your mental limits . It's about making the right , responsible choices , especially when it comes to things like managing fatigue and especially impairment .

I just want to say it now and I just don't say it enough , but I probably should Never drink and ride Full stop there . Never do that . As for riding too far between breaks , now that's what I'm guilty of . Sometimes I just get too enthusiastic , or whatever .

I pick routes sometimes that are just too far for the day and I get too focused on getting from one stop to the next stop . I don't know because I'm having too much of a good time , but sometimes I find myself getting a little too tired and that takes the fun out of it .

Right , there's no shame in pulling over to take a break or , for that matter , especially if the road conditions turn into something that oh yeah , I'm really going to have to pull off the road . In fact , it's a sign of true riding maturity . Again , I'm guilty .

I've described about the fun of riding into storms to observe the power of nature and to see what I could do with that . Yeah , I'm not the best example . Sometimes that's just me .

I realize that I haven't spoken directly about the value of wearing a good quality helmet and a helmet that fits your head .

I've heard any number of times people say that they don't like wearing a helmet because it's either too heavy or it's uncomfortable , that they don't like wearing a helmet because it's either too heavy or it's uncomfortable , or they can't see out of it .

Well , I found that most of those people have picked the wrong helmet , one that doesn't fit their head or is of poor quality , and poor quality helmets are usually heavy and visibility is not great .

So , yeah , a lot of it is just a matter of spending the money and getting something that fits your head , because , honestly , you should be able to have your helmet on your head all the time , all day long , and it shouldn't bother you a bit . If it does bother you , it doesn't fit . And not all brands are the same .

We'll talk more about that later on in another episode . All brands are the same . We'll talk more about that later on in another episode . But wear a good quality , perfectly fitting helmet on every ride all the time . I'll just share this .

I was the second one to arrive where , way out in the country , some dude crashed his motorcycle and he wasn't wearing a helmet . He survived and he was actually up walking around . Believe it or not .

I think he was kind of high too , but no , I'll not describe what his head looked like , but you can use your imagination and I'll tell you this he'll be getting a different style haircut for the rest of his life based on what I saw happen to his scalp . So , yuck , yeah , I've told you too much .

That's an image , though , I just can't get out of my head . And let me just say this Don't be an idiot like him . Wear a helmet , because here's the deal when we prioritize safety , we're not just protecting ourselves , we're also contributing to a more positive image of motorcycling for everyone .

We're showing that we're responsible road users who value our own well-being and we care about those who care about us . That's back to that original discussion of what our families sometimes say . But we owe them that they love us , they care about us and they just want us to be safe and they want us to be around . So , yeah , we owe them that .

I'll close with this . When you head out for your next ride , remember that the freedom we feel on two wheels is a precious gift and that wisdom of safe riding is what allows us to truly appreciate and protect that gift . It's about finding that perfect balance between the thrill of the open road and the responsibility that we carry as riders .

Our minds and our bodies . Those are gifts from God . My friends Ride grateful for everything you get to see and everything you get to experience when you're out riding , and be grateful too for every safe journey that God brings you through .

And it's in that state of gratitude that I think , if you're lucky , you'll find a great deal of joy and you may even find a little bit of peace of mind . Thank you .