There are all kinds or reason and each rider has his or her own opinion. I will attempt to give you some of mine.
A friend asked me, “Why do motorcyclist ride close to the center line on a two lane road instead of all the way to the right”?
That question got me to thinking about, “why I ride a motorcycle”. The reason today, is different than 15 years ago and even more different from when I first started riding 47 years ago.
47 years ago I rode to be wild, to be rebellious, and to be a “biker”. Back then I was one of a few that had a bike. It felt great to ride down the road at 60 mph and have the wind blowing over my body and through my hair (no helmet no wind shield). I was a stupid kid.
15 years ago, was an attempt to be cool, to be different from others, to feel young again. I had not owned a street bike for several years so I wanted to reclaim some of the old feelings. I bought the bike and the leather jacket, chaps so I could be different from others and I was just like the other bikers.
Today, I ride to get somewhere, to get out of the house, to be with friends. To be totally honest, riding is often somewhat boring due to riding the same roads over and over. I usually enjoy arriving at a destination or stopping for breaks more than the ride, because I can talk with the other riders. Yes I have a CB radio on my bike and I can talk to others as I ride, if they have a CB.
Radio is another difference; in the olden days if someone had an AM radio on their bike, they were not a “real biker”. Now, I would not have a bike without, radios, CB, MP3 player, cruise control, heated hand grips, GPS, a back rest and the list goes on.
Vacation trips on a bike are fun, and you get to see things you have not seen before.
or
In the above photo you see a view from a bike vacation. That is a good reason for riding.
Riding the bike you also get to smell all the smells like the bluebonnets when they are in bloom and the occasional cattle lot that smells like cow manure.
There are down sides to bike vacations. The number of mile per day can be critical to your backside; personally I like 300 or fewer miles per day.
The temperature can make or break a ride. For me 70 degrees is perfect; I can wear a light jacket and the helmet is not too hot. 90 degrees and up is not comfortable; you have a sweaty helmet on and you have to wear long sleeves or sun block to prevent sun burn.
A strong wind can discourage the best rider and is unsafe. Rain is very dangerous for the biker due to the idiot drivers in vehicles with 4 or more wheels. The best place for a biker is in a café drinking coffee when there is both wind and rain.
As a rider I have done some stupid things. I know it is difficult to believe I could do anything stupid but...
When I was a young father I would put Patrick on the front of my bike and let him hold the handle bars so it looked as if he was driving. We would ride through the little town (Scott City, Mo) near where we lived at about 30 mph. I thought it was fun but in fact it was stupid.
What? There is always one person that has to keep asking questions. OK, the reason bikers often ride near the center line on a two lane road is…
First we need to think about one lane of a road.
1. Cars have 4 wheels and it is easy to see where the car tires travel.
2. In between where the car tires roll is an area that gets oil and grease from cars and trucks.
3. Other debris like nails sand and gravel will deposit in this area where the car wheels do not normally role. Motor cycles should not ride here especially in wet weather due to the oil residue.
· The biker rides close to the center line because it gives him/her more road surface (left and right) to avoid and accident.
· If the road has a paved shoulder that would allow safe driving or riding in case of an emergency, the bike should ride close to the outside of the line.
From Don Ford, his mind is on vacation at all times.
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