Five Reasons ‘Why We Ride’ Motorcycles | Moto Commentary

We Ride to Feel Young

My dad bought his first motorcycle in his 50s and of course caught a ton of flak from his friends and family about having a “midlife crisis.” Getting older sucks, but why should only the younglings get to have all the fun?

Your true age is not defined by how old you are but rather by how young you feel. You may not be able to turn back the clock but riding is kind of like winding that clock back up again.

When I see my dad in his full leathers on his Suzuki GXS-R 1000, I swear he seems 20-years younger and I know he feels it too. How many other things can make you feel that way? If riding is your version of the “fountain of youth,” by all means ride. Ride until the Aleve wears off and your arthritis pain is too much to bear.

We Ride To Belong

Making new friends as an adult isn’t easy. Making new friends as an adult who rides is preordained. When you walk into a place holding your helmet and you see another person with a helmet, you have an automatic connection.

It may just be a friendly nod or perhaps a “stop and chat,” but one way or another, your common interest will be acknowledged. Motorcycles bring people together and after a while, your riding buddies start to feel like family. All of a sudden, those outsiders who felt oh so alone, belong to a group, belong to a “family.”

So for those who are new in town, those who don’t have many friends, those who don’t have family, or whatever the circumstances may be, is it wrong to want to start riding to be a part of that small, tight community? Is it wrong to want to belong?