Why do We ride Motorcycles & How do they affect our Lizard Brains?
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- I get asked a lot by non motorcyclists, what the attraction to motorcycle travel is, & for many years I had no idea myself. After many, many years I think I finally know the answer. Well my answer anyway!
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PATREON. / stuartfillingham
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True words stuart. 👍 "Only a biker knows why a dog sticks its head out the car window." 🐺
I own both a motorcycle and a horse. It feels like I'm a kid again when I ride either of them. It takes special skill to ride either well and you definitely have to be 'in the moment' to survive. As Winston Churchill said 'There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.' Or motorcycle, I would add.
I've ridden both as well. Sometimes they won't, stop or go quite where you point them. Staying on board has been quite a challenge in fact. Occasionally, horses are like this too 🤔👍
He also said ''There is nothing more exhilarating than being shot at without result''..Speaking of exhilarating l always find riding a motorcycle as such, even after 59 years..its still a great joy.
I also have a RE Interceptor and a New Zealand Thoroughbred and I love them both, but only one loves me back. I've ridden both for years, but only ended up in the ER once from a bike, but several times on horse crashes. I still like to ride horses fast, but not so much motorcycles. What really amazes me is just how similar the two kinds of riding is, the really big difference is that the horse has a brain and instincts that can help you out in a pinch, but the bike has only you.
Great analogy,..... but, my bike will always be in the shed when I want to use it not 3 mile down the paddock, my bike will not bloat like a horse, as I tighten the saddle girth ,in an effort to remove saddle and rider, my bike will not bite me on the arse as I mount up or for that matter bite me on the foot as it hits the stirrup, my bike will not throw me if it gets bitten on the arse by a march fly, my bike will not try to run my leg down a barbwire fence,gate post, or take me under a low branch just because it doesn't want to go to work, my bike won't prop at a small creek it's jumped a 100 times before and land me in the middle of the creek,....but,a horse will sense I've gone to sleep and just move under a shady tree or turn around and head home, my bike on the other hand would probably take me tru the front grill of a Mack truck. Love the horse trust the bike.
sure thing.... got myself a horse and a couple of bikes as well, fully concur!
I am 49 and live in the Virginia, USA. I am 100 percent motorcyclist, I don't own a car. I own all four seasons of equipment. I took a ride on my father inlaws motorcycle in 2001, my legs were shaking when I got off. I was hooked from that time on. Just last month I injured my back at work and now having a problem walking , which has me fearful that I might not be able to ride for the rest of my life as the nerve damaged, effects my left leg. The point was, your video today made me cry. You hit the nail on the head with this one. I still have hope as I have not sold my two bikes , as I will see if time is all that is needed to recover. I can't run, motorcycle or even do my job as a PT at this time. Thank you! Great video!
I hope you're able to recover. All the best.
Wishing you a speedy recovery, hope you get to ride your bikes again. Best wishes from England.
@@hughphillips1427 thank you, I also hope so. I have a truck that hasn't run for a while and hope to have it back over the next month. Not going to sell my bikes till is is over. Thank you!
@@Bob-_-Smith thank you for your kind words! I try each day and hope to be back on the saddle
@@RobVespa I also hope all works out. As a PT I do my best and attempting to ride my W800 cafe as the Concours is a little heavy. But that is my winter/ inclement weather and long distance machine.
Moving through the environment the car driver is a Passive Observer, the motorcyclist is an Active Participant. That's how I see it 👍
Absolutely
Depends on the car. I've got a lotus 7 replica and that's definitely not a passive experience. Even the motorbikes tower above you.
Nicely put.
MX5 with roof down, you are very much part of the environment
And you don’t need a helmet to seperate you from it.😊
@@allanryan2988 a car….and of course while you’re stuck in all that traffic we will whip past you and leave you to enjoy all those fumes with your top down 😂😂😂
Absolutely love Motorcycling to clear the mind…from steady bimble in the countryside to picking up the pace slightly on faster twisty roads ❤️ afterwards always get that feeling of total peace and tranquillity, with the knowledge that you’ve probably had much more fun than you should have!
I started my motorcycling because of your videos, your reviews drew me in and to date not dissapointed, bought my classic 500 2020 and now will get the super meteor one day, I've toured parts of UK on my classic, love it all. Keep up the good work.
Sky is the limit go on
Morning Stu. Ramble away. You’re always good to listen to. I’ve been biking for just over 51 years now and started off in the third group. Thirty years ago, as more money was available, I joined the speed group. In 2016 I obtained a old Matchless which reminded me of the pure pleasure of motorcycling. I’d forgotten how much fun you could have poodleing about. Having downsized, I’m now back in that third group and hope to ride as long as I can get my leg over. Keep up the great work mate.
I am 77 years old now and have been riding legally since 1961, quite a few years ago I was speaking to someone and I mentioned that I ride a motorcycle, a look of consternation appeared on this person's face and he said "Arnt you a bit old for that kind of thing" I assumed he thought it was a craze you should try as a teenager? some people will never ever understand a motorcyclist.
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance .....
“In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
I totally agree, I have ridden horse's in my early years. When I came of age to get a 50cc forty odd years ago I was smitten. I have had the greatest memories on motorcycles over the years and indeed saved my life. I had a complete mental breakdown in 2016 and I can say hand on heart that motorcycles and riding them was one of the reasons I am still here! Keep up the great work Stuart 👍
I too have shifted through the 3 types you describe but find myself riding for a very distinct reason most of the time these days. Riding well (and safely) requires attention. In the present world of constant distractions, I find riding mentally refreshing. For a few hours while out and about on my bike I can completely "disconnect from the electronic world". It resets me and after a good ride I just feel better. I get a similar feeling while working on my bike. It's good to reset from time to time. Keep up the good work!!!
Exactly..after 6 days work, im always done with, computer, mobilephone, car etc. I leave them at home on weekend and ride my Royal enfield meteor.
@@zedwarrior1866 Ditto!! The Meteor is so relaxing. It rides the way I want. I don’t want to be racing, just riding
Yep. This.
Nice video uncle Stu.....I am 58 and was introduced to motorcycles at a young age, about 8 years old, by my Grandad and my uncle. My Grandad was a dispatch rider in the 2nd world war and rode a BSA M40. My grandad passed away in 1974 and my uncle Paul took over in my influence of motorcycles. He rode a BSA C15 and used to take me all over the North Yorkshire moors as pillion on fantastic adventures, camping in barns and working for farmers during the school holidays. As the years whent by and the older I got he used to let me ride that old bike on private land and deserted country lanes. The feeling of freedom and the adrenaline of being allowed to be in control of his beloved BSA became ingrained into my blood! Ever since I was 16 I have owned motorcycles and hopefully will till the day I die! Thak you for the video uncle Stu and always ride safe, Kind Regards Andy
An enjoyable ramble, Stuart. I was a late learner at 56, A long time ago now, it was Charlie, Ewan and Ted Simon that made me realise that there was something else to be done other than being trapped behind a desk and a computer screen. Retired now, not a speed.merchant, solo rider, and I really enjoy my little outings. A "proper biker" or not I don't really care what anybody else thinks.
Stewart, you're the only English motorcycle commentator whose speech can be
understood. You describe the soul of motorcycling clearly, precisely, and with
eloquence. This 86 -year old rider and RE 650 owner appreciate every episode.
Thank you.
I'd heard the saying as "Driving a car is like watching a movie, riding a motorcycle is like LIVING IT.", but yes. Exactly! Feeling the wind, smelling the smells, being able to look up at birds soaring, hearing the purr of my parallel twin... it's like everything is aligned and right with the universe. That's my happy place. My heart races with yearning for spring, as I think about it. Thanks uncle Stu!
Afficianado! I personally just love the mechanical mayhem that occurs between my legs, the throb of the 350 classic bullet sending vibes of passion up my spine and exploding into moments of euphoria in my “lizard brain”. Is there anything better than the Royal Enfield dug-a-dug reverberating off the cutting walls? As I walk up to my classic and throw my leg over, kick the starter, it warms the cockles of my heart, and the endorphins do their merry dance in my head, that’s motorcycling, but maybe the absolute best, is the wiping down of the mighty beast and observing the areas that may need a little attention before embarking on the next journey of euphoria… ride on! ❤
I'm 72 and retired to this country called Texas after I self diagnosed with an allergic reaction to snow. My Kawasaki Concours sport tourer is my only transportation, therapist, and best friend. I use a small trailer to go tent camping and transport anything the Connie can't handle. The Alaska natives have a saying - there is no bad weather, just bad choices in clothing. Someday a trike, but I can't foresee a cage. Safe travels wishes to all.
Your perspective rings so true! I've been riding >50yrs, but went through a long stretch where I hardly ever took out the big-dog Victory Kingpin I'd bought new for well over $20k. After finally selling it and downsizing to a Triumph Bonnie and an RE Meteor 350, I'm out riding every chance I get. No question that smaller bikes have revived my "lizard brain" and the simple, deep joy of riding. 🙂 Keep up the great work, Stu, and All the Best for the Holidays from Kentucky USA!
Thanks Stuart. I like your analogy to a movie and actor. I took up biking almost 3 years ago at age 66 when our tyrannical overlords started restricting my life. I’m on my 3rd bike now and did a solo 8200 km ride cross country last summer. It’s been a blast. I’m planning on more next year. Merry Christmas Stuart.
Great to hear your thoughts. Parallels can be drawn elsewhere, hobbies etc. I have found the enduring interest settles into a zone where the satisfaction is proportional to the memories. It is rarely “bought”, most often it is achieved through personal involvement, learning, and effort. And this can mean that something that is objectively of low monetary value can actually bring the greatest rewards.
Now that Adrian is absolutely spot on!👌 Stu, this should be your pinned comment 👍
Well said, Stu. There are many parallels to your sentiment in flying airplanes. Many pilots like myself are also motorcycle enthusiasts. I’m not a thrill seeker but, knowing the risks of riding motorcycles and flying planes, there is something particularly gratifying to manage those risks through good skill and judgement and return home safely after a flight or ride! A good day for me is to ride my Royal Enfield 350 to the airport and go for a flight. Win-win! May your holidays be full of joy!
Exactly what I was thinking watching this video, It is thirty years since I rode a motorcycle until I bought a T100 this year (thanks TAYM). I can not stop riding it and every time I do it reminds me of flying the Tiger Moth. Well I have not flown a Tiger for thirty years either, guess what I am doing next spring and guess how I am going to get there 😀😀😀
@@markwood9755 I'm officially jealous! Had a chance to fly a tiger moth here in the states years ago but was too busy back then to do it. I've been kicking myself ever since. Wish I could join you in that endeavor! Ride safe and fly the same way!
@@franklins6644 Apologies didn’t mean to cause jealousy, I just found the video and your post had hit a connection with me. If States side of the pond I am sure you could find a Stearman experience another fine aeroplane. Thanks for the response wishing you Happy Landings and safe riding
As a motorcyclist, I think I've passed through most of those "types" as phases Stu. With perhaps the exception of being image conscious. My gear was often at odds with my bike for reasons of economy. In 1981 I bought a Belstaff Trailmaster jacket because I couldn't afford leathers. Ironic then, that now it's become a boutique brand I'd get fixed up with a decent leather jacket much cheaper.
If I'm honest, my love of motorcycling has been inversely proportional to the size and performance of the machine I owned. For me, the satisfaction provided by a big, fast bike has been rather fleeting. It's not really until fairly recently, that "downsizing" has recaptured the feelings I had when I got my first bike on the road many (many) years ago 😁
Totally agree. Having owned bikes up to 1000cc, engine displacement has nothing to do with the pleasure of the ride.
This is a good comparison, and to add to it a horse will freak out and get confused if your unsure and nervous, the motorcycle acts the same way. Both horse and bike require smooth and deliberate inputes and will ensure you will have a pleasent experience aslong as you look after them.
Stuart, that was magnificent. You nailed it. My happiest travel times were when I was travelling with my cheap, slow, unfashionable bikes. I’ve been away from motorcycles for 20 years now but if I go back, I’m going back on an Enfield 350.
One thing I enjoy about motorcycles is the
feeling of flying. Moving through the cool air at 65 mph while leaning through turns and swooping up and the over hills and through the valleys feels like flying just a little above the land in a happy roller-coaster type dream.
I'm 63, and have been riding since age 8. Nonstop. I've had 54 bikes, some new and some used. I've ridden over a million miles, without a single accident. I definitely fit into your third category. While I've had a lot of bikes, I kind of rediscovered motorcycling in 2003, when I got my first Harley Davidson, a 1989 model. I discovered a whole new side to motorcycling. I had been riding mostly Japanese bikes, and while they were very enjoyable, something was missing. They were just too smooth, too quiet, too refined. I finally did get a taste of what riding a motorcycle could be from my 1966 Triumph Bonneville, which I bought back in the mid '80s and kept for around 4 years. I seriously regret selling it. It added a new dimension to motorcycling that the overly refined Japanese bikes lacked. Sound and feel, and a mechanicalness that the Japanese bikes were missing. It made a wonderful sound, and its long stroke 360 degree pushrod twin would almost shake your teeth out. It was very crude and primitive, and I absolutely loved it. It required more maintenance, and repair, but it was also a lot easier to work on. It was much more of a machine than the Japanese bikes were. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Harley Davidsons were way out of my reach price wise. But by the early 2000s, there were a lot more of them on the used market, and they prices had come down. I was finally able to afford one. A 14 year old one. But that was exactly what I wanted. Even new Harley Davidsons were starting to become overly refined, and they started putting computers on them, something I wanted no part of. I wanted a pure machine, no electronics. I now own three Harley Davidsons and one Royal Enfield Bullet 500. I bought it new, and it came with EFI, which meant a computer. But before I bought it I already had plans to convert it to a carburetor. Hitchcocks in the UK sells a kit to convert the 2011-2016 Royal Enfields from EFI to a carburetor. I simply won't own or ride a motorcycle with a computer. I have also compared motorcycles to horses, I live in the southwestern U.S. where many people still ride horses for recreation, even I have done it several times. But I prefer machines. And to me a machine is 100% mechanical. It does not have a computer on it. And while a horse can have a mind of its own, a motorcycle does not, it should be totally and completely under the riders control. So while a motorcycle is very different from a car, an older, less refined motorcycle with no computers on it is also very different form a modern one. All modern motorcycles have EFI and ABS, and many people also want cruise control and automatic transmissions. What would be left for the rider to do?
To me, aside from the motorcycle having a lot of character, 90% of the enjoyment of riding one is controlling it. I want to do my own shifting and clutching. I want to do my own braking, with no interference from a computer. I want to twist a throttle connected to a carburetor with a cable. It takes a lot more skill to ride a motorcycle than to drive a car, and the consequences of making a mistake can be far more serious. I wouldn't call it thrill seeking, but that is, at least to me, part of the attraction of riding a motorcycle. YOU, as the rider, are in complete control. That gives you a lot of incentive to not mess up, and a lot of satisfaction when you get it right. I have also compared riding a motorcycle to playing a guitar, something I used to do till arthritis and neuropathy made it pretty much impossible. Playing a guitar is a very satisfying experience because the sound it makes depends completely on what YOU do with it. On the other hand, simply holding a guitar while it played itself would be no fun at all. Yet that seems to be what many people now want from both cars and motorcycles. They want to be able to get on or get in, push a button, and then have the computers take them where they want to go without them having to do anything but just sit there. I don't see how there can be any fun in that.
I will continue riding for as long as it is physically possible, and when I can no longer manage 2 wheels, I have plans to convert one of my vintage Harley Davidsons to a trike, and keep going.
I am also quite familiar with Robert Pirsig. I have owned a copy of his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for decades. Seems people don't want to work on their motorcycles anymore, plus the addition of computers has eliminated a lot of what you can do with modern motorcycles.
For me, riding is therapy. It completely clears my head of everything else and getting the most out of my 350 is all I care about. It's freedom to go where I want when I want, not because I have to but just because I want to.
Very well said .I am at the same point in my motorcycle journey .To me the motorcycle is freedom,i feel free when i ride.There is no no better escape than a ride through the countryside.
I think part of my "why" is that the actual act of riding a motorcycle clears my head. It's as if my mind splits in two, part of it is keeping me alive, observing, controlling, making split second decisions, checking road surfaces, planning routes etc etc, meanwhile, the other part is sub consciously sorting out my life. I get off the bike happier, more content, decisions made..
Hello Stuart and seasons greetings to you. Thought provoking vid as always. For me summed up by the quote “4 wheels moves the body but 2 wheels moves the soul” (not sure who said this but seems appropriate), enjoy the rest and have a peaceful new year.
As ever Stuart your vlogs make us think. Great stuff. You and others inspired me to dust off the bike licence obtained 50+ years ago and get back on a bike..it is a unique feeling.
Enjoy your well earned break!!
I guess you have seen the BBC news story about the angry reactions to the Oxford "traffic filters".
I've always wondered what it is about motorcycles that I love. Perhaps you've just given me the answer. I don't have your history of bikes but I started, like we all did back then, on my 16th birthday on a Vespa 125 that I had restored over the summer holidays from school. I can still remember the feeling of freedom, the smell of the new Jet helmet, the old gloves I has scrounged from my father, as if it were yesterday rather than 52 years ago. The Vespa gave way to a Honda Benly 125, and in my late teens to a 1958 Triumph 500. But then along came marriage, mortgages and children so I lost my way and joined the car drivers. I've always liked cars and treated myself to a Mazda MX5 Roadster in 2012. The feeling of driving round with the roof down brought back some of that connection with the outside world that you spoke about. It was, and still is, a great experience but there has always been a piece missing. Having spent many hours watching reviews, including yours of course, I decided that the RE Interceptor was the one for me so I went to my local showroom. Now, having not ridden a motorcycle for well over 40 years, I sat on one in the showroom and it didn't feel like I remembered (much more top-heavy) so I sat on a Meteor 350 and it just felt right. At the age of 67 I decided that, if I didn't make that purchase now, I never would. Consequently I'm the very proud owner of a Supernova in brown and I absolutely love it. I know you would probably place it third behind the Classic and the Hunter but that only goes to prove that we're all different. Thank goodness Royal Enfield understands that and produces models to suit us all, and that a 900cc or 1200cc engine is not necessary for the majority. To me, a 650 engine was big and a 750cc from Norton, Triumph or BSA was exceptional. What has happened?
Anyway, thanks for all your videos. To be honest, without those I probably wouldn't have made that purchase, and there would still be a bit of a gap in my life. In those classic words, you've made an old man very happy. Enjoy your Christmas break.
Hi Stu, I really enjoyed this video and found it reflected all of my own experiences and pleasures in riding and repairing motorcycles. I’m just a few years older than you and since taking up riding again after almost 50 years of purely cars, I’ve never been happier. These are the sort of videos on your channel that I actually like.
Stu, come on Down Under, NZ or Aus, after Xmas for the best weather and some of the best bike roads in the world, I'm sure plenty would be happy to accommodate you and your partner, Regards David
Something truly wonderful about a motorcycle. It’s really a visceral emotive experience that sticks with you. Ride safe and have fun!
Actually love your ramblings. As so often, you hit the nail on the head.
I came from a motorcycle family so there was never a question as to weather I had a bike.
I guess I started in 1 and jumped to 3.
50 years and over 50 bikes, my epiphany came hiring an NX250 in Greece. Slowly down sized, eventually to an NX250. Then I couldn't resist a Meteor.
Would have loved to spend a few hours at that bike meet. Where was it?
The fact that not everyone is a motorcyclist is what makes it so special it's what makes us different from every idiot and moron who owns a car and drives like an idiot and a moron. We true bikers also have our bikes for decades we don't trade them in every other year like these guys with cars do. They have no concern for their car. We love our bikes and we are dismayed when they are down or wrecked. When a biker goes down his first concern is for his motorcycle then he goes to the hospital. Is that bond that we have with our machines that other people don't feel and don't have. We look at our bikes and smile thinking of all the trips we had on them good and bad because sometimes the bad trips are the most memorable. Real bikers also work on their bikes and the bonds between us becomes deepened. Most car people don't even know how to change their oil. The same thing goes for the posers. But then they're rich $100 to change their oil is nothing. When I was working $100 was a days pay. I don't pay a mechanic to do anything I can't do myself. I know my limitations and I don't fight off more than I can chew. It goes without saying it gives us a great deal of satisfaction to do stuff ourselves a great deal of Pride as well.
Ah so THAT explains why my brain keeps telling me that I should be basking on a warm sunny rock rather than going out on my bike on a rainy December morning....
Many thanks for all the interesting and informative videos that you have posted this year. 👍x💯
What a story Stuart. I could listen to you before I go to sleep 🙂 Gives me a hope that it's not all lost...I used to "club" race motorcycles ...enjoying the "thrill" as you call it. But after short while, watching your videos I'm thinking to a modern classic bike. As it turns out I didn't really know what it's about 🙂 Anyway excellent video 👍
Love that quote - to paraphrase it
“Driving or being in a car is like watching a movie; riding a motorcycle is like starring in a movie!”
Spot on.
I was in California a few years back and I got hooked on riding in the canyons. Spoke to a car driver and described the Santa Monica mountains and he said he’s driven through there and couldn’t relate to what I described. That’s when the penny dropped on me - the bike puts you in touch with the road, wind, every fibre of the air. It’s indescribable.
After 52 years in saddle, i still think the same. Freedom. Friendship, belonging, enjoying life, no traffic jams, meetings and pubs. A very nice way of enjoying life and bimbling around country lanes, feeling at one with nature.
Nice one uncle Stu. I think that I must be stage three now. Gone are the days when I laid flat on my 250 Kwak to do the ton back the seventies. Now it's more of bimble on the bullet and enjoy the ride.
Watching this video hit so many buttons with me. I love your productions because i can totally identify where you come from. Like you I have had numerous bikes on the road since 1966 ; BSA, MATCHLESS, EXCELSIOR, MOTO GUZZI, MZ, HONDA, YAMAHA, HARLEY. However the best move I made was about 7 years ago when I took delivery of a Royal Enfield EFI Bullit in clubman trim. No it was not a superbike( I have had them) but riding it across Dartmoor on the way back I remembered what biking is about. Since then I have had the Himalayan and am currently riding the Interceptor. Don't get me wrong each to his own but every time I get on the Interceptor I am back to the 60s , especially when I am on the back roads reading the bends. Oh yes and every time I get on the bike I have a big smile. Keep riding guys and ride safe. Bob Plymouth
an observation relevent to this the two women I know who were most happy to hop on the back of whatever I had were both accomplished horse riders. for me it was what I could afford the then cheapest transport a Jawa 175 when I first rode it I realized that driving a car was like watching TV feeling every tiny temperature change and all the smells. both the whole sensory experience and the manipulation of the machine was more direct, vivid and real that was at 15 at 70 I'm slowly saving up as a pensioner I save just over 100 a week unless something comes up, like a warrant, registration new clothes or any unpredictable cost so I hope the classic 350 is still available when I have enough. thanks for another good one
old boy roy
Enjoying the philosophising Stuart. Thanks for the Pirsig reference, not read him since the 70s, I will dig it out and read it again.
Thanks for all you do for us Stuart.
What a wonderfully made video. It's calming, knowledgeable and possibly may get more motorcyclists into their zone. Thank you and Merry Christmas
I'm a cowgirl, on a steel horse I ride..... 😆
36 years of riding and I think I've been through all the stages. Now my only transportation is a Himalayan because it's affordable on a fixed income and it will take me everywhere I want to go without breaking the bank.
I suppose it's a steel mule I ride, but it still makes me happy.
In a few days your channel became my favourite. I don‘t want to to role out my history of Motorcycling, enough to say, that it is much similar to yours. Altough I consume a lot of Vlogs with interests several different here in English, it is often hard to follow the Narrator because of slang etc. Not everybody on earth has English as the Motherlanguage, so to say. Now, as a nes Classic 350-Owner I enjoy it so deeply to follow your on Point Comments, so well and clear pronounced in exceptional clean English. I have the Picture of an real english Gentleman and Lord before my inner Eye. It is just perfect and from Hamburg a deep thank for that
Stuart, ramblings? no, your philosophy and outlook on motorcycling. Which one can relate to. I've been riding for almost forty years. Personally only been happy owning one motorcycle and the same one for the past 20 years from new. It's not the biggest nor the fastest but the one I've had the most enjoyment on. I'm fortunate I carry out all my own maintenance. It's no longer pristine more oily rag. But still gives me miles of smiles.
Another thought provoking video Stuart. When I started work in 1963 I had a ten mile commute on a push bike and the return journey included a very long steep hill climb which after a days physical work was not fun. When my first motorcycle, a Triumph Tiger Cub came along, the sensation of climbing that hill without having to pedal is something I can remember to this day some 58 years later. Since then, I have enjoyed a variety of motorcycles some of which would be described as quite nippy, the GPZ900R springs to mind and I am grateful for the support of my guardian angel. These days with the advancing years and the bloody arthritis I just tend to potter around on my 400cc single and a maxi scooter, but I am just not ready to give up yet, I still crave that whatever it is, that makes us want to get aboard and ride away.
Enjoy your well deserved break and return next years with more great content.
Have a wonderful Christmas Stuart, and a big thank you for your content throughout the year.
passed my test in 1954. had many bikes over the years, about 23 loved every minuet never crashed. I have now packed up at 85, to many folk on the road with no driving/riding sense or manners. most motorcyclist have the road sense and can read the road. makes them good car drivers. the other reason I have given up is. if the bike should fall over in a layby far away, there is no way I could pick the bike up. so long James comet, excelsior, Norton, sunbeam s7/8. BMW, Yamahas. engine I liked the best the Boxer. just been watching reruns of Barry Sheen. not to mention Jeff Duke. Safe biking all of you. Briddy UK.
I grew up on a farm and had a couple horses for myself and yes, I agree with you. The feeling for me is something deep within my veins, a feeling of joy, relaxation and a slightly exitement every time I hop on either of them. And one lerns to respect them and love them. It's a very personal and a very close relationship.
A little late comment. But I like to consider myself as a motorcycle enthusiast. Although I left motorcycles for 30 years, I knew I would come back to riding. Now retired and children old enough to deal with life on their own , I’m back to the motorized 2 wheels and my life now is all about enjoying travel while riding.
It's a funny thing, I get as much pleasure from riding a bike as I do customising ,fixing or modifying it. Maybe it's an Ego thing but I like it when people ask me about my bikes, because they are never like all the others of the same model. And the speed thing has no attraction because I want to get home!!
Your spot on again Stuart it is something prime evil, Bon Jovi got it when he said " ON THIS STEEL HORSE I RIDE" he got it. And look at the old Harleys they used to have leather saddles, and some of us call our seats saddles so we are intertwined with the horse, we even have horse power.
Only we understand what it is, but can't put it into words.
Thanks! Merry Christmas 🤶
Thanks Peter!
I have ridden bikes--six in all--or all the reasons you list, Stuart. I gave it up in my sixties, for a convertible (Mazda MX-5). Why? For two reasons, first because I realized that I was coming home from rides more exhausted and relieved than energized. Second, because I realized that wearing leathers, gloves, boots, and a helmet in fact isolated me from the world rather than connected me to it. I might have cut a fine figure passing by, but inside I felt armored, numbed, mummified. Although I loved the remaining sensations--movement, balance, power, and the road's surface coming up to me...--there was, in fact, no wind in the hair, or face or hands, no clear sounds, no fresh smells, no clear vision...not really. These are all things my MX-5 could provide without the quotient of fear, and that my e-bike provides in spades too, letting me mingle with people in parks, etc, and also enjoy the road dressed lightly. I miss motorcycles and watch videos like yours. I ride vicariously. But I am also in one piece, pedaling and roof-downing it every time the weather is good.
I understand your point, I am a retread after 40 yerars, and when I stiopped I never had all the gear I have today, I hope I don"t arrive at the same conclusion as you did , but let"s wave to each as we wind down the road anyway,..
@@newlife155 Thanks for the frank response. Be safe. Enjoy. And stop when you don't.
Love your stuff Master Stuart. I got my first bike during my year at Lancaster University. Rounding a corner on a narrow lane close to Heysham, I was met by wall to wall sheep. I stopped and they flowed around me with the farmer giving me a friendly “aye-up”. I was hooked on riding forever. That was 1969-70. I am riding my Triumph a couple of times a week now and enjoying it immensely. The moto gives me a pure and direct experience of the world around me. As the road goes up and down I can feel the temperature changes, smell the fields, see the broad horizon. Thanks for reminding me.
In the nineties on a enfield bullet riding in Nepal and India or just on a scooter in Vietnam or Thailand are pure meditation moments . I just love riding. My old uncle was a despatch rider in North Africa and Italy during WWII.
For me, it's the facility to enjoy the changes of temperature, texture and differing aromas in the ever-changing air and road conditions that we encounter as we ride. It puts me in touch with the environment in a way that travelling down the same piece of road in a car simply cannot. In a car, one is isolated and insulated; on a motorcycle one is an active part of the scene, a participant rather than a simple observer.
After having enjoyed the riding experience for the past 60+ years, I know that it's about far more than simply going fast, enjoyable though that is and, having for 36 years driven race-cars at speeds of 280kph+, I do understand the need for speed. Although having retired from motor-racing a couple of decades ago, I intend to be riding for a long time to come.
Been motorcycling for 50 years, until I got married and children came along I always choose motorcycling over automobiles. When my second child came along I finally sold 3 motorcycles to buy a car. Now that I'm in my late 60s I mainly ride my motorcycle for leisure. I usually ride alone just for the pleasure of riding. I dabble in motovlogging but that too is just for fun, a creative outlet in my retirement years. Love your videos, keep them coming. Happy Christmas and New Year.
Hello Stu. I’ve been riding continuously since I was 21 and I’m now knocking on the door of 59. I bought my first bike as I needed cheep reliable transport and I couldn’t afford a new car. I did the old 250 test on a Suzuki 250 gsx after which I bought a Suzuki GS850g. I loved that bike. I bought it new and it is that bike that gave me the passion for motorcycles. I can still feel the thrill of picking it up from the dealer in Bridgend South Wales and starting off home via the nearest petrol station. Unfortunately 9 months later a HGV driver pulling out the wrong way from a no entry road and had an accident with me, writing the bike off and giving me a fractured pelvis. That however didn’t stop
me and my urge to get back on a
bike saw me borrow a friends z900, Evan though I couldn’t put my feet down. It’s amazing how quick you learn to balance and perfect your slow riding skills.
That love of bikes still remains and I have had 14 bikes since, although
only 2 in total have been Japanese.
I started off looking for cheep and cheerful but now ride big and expensive. I think you are probably right that simple bike are probably the ones that give riders the grin factor. Big and expensive usually has more tech than you can shake at a big stick which means more to go wrong. I love my current bike as I do lots of 2 up touring with my wife and comfort is important for her during long trips ( stops the moaning ). However when the time comes I will probably like you down size to something smaller and cheaper.
Nailed it Stu. As a lifetime motorcyclist, not 'biker' , ( note the subtle difference), I agree. It's a state of mind, being as one with the bike and one's surroundings. Enjoying life in its most simple yet satisfying way.
Personally I wanted a bike as a child, we had a vacant acre behind my childhood home, and the local kids used to ride dirt bikes around it on the weekends. I used to love watching them, didn't get my first bike till I bought my own at 22 years old. Just like Stuart I went from low cc bikes to bigger and bigger faster bikes. Rode across Australia in 1988 and back for world expo in QLD on an 1100 Yamaha, with my then girlfriend. Now at nearly 60 years old, I've began winding it down again, I had an 2009 R1 great bike, sold that bought a cruiser vn900, but it's still a lump to move about and not very comfortable (it's the custom, with forward foot pegs). So now I'm looking for a Classic 500 Royal Enfield to test ride, but cannot find one so far. I'm thinking a 500cc should be plenty for what I use my bikes for, had the 1200 tourer and realised it was just a burden more than a benefit. Heck I had a GT 250cc X7 two stroke Suzuki that had plenty of power for touring or anything. Completely agree, that it's the link back to the horse, for me anyhow, that makes motorcycles so special, now days it's also a mental health balancer. Used to ride horses in my teens and early 20's and loved it and the horses, even when they tried to get me off haha. Thanks for the video Stuart, ride safe mate. Merry Xmas.
I've been addicted to motorcycles since 1962. Great vid, Stu.
Lovely video Stu, the green Sunbeam looked gorgeous in the sun, and could have watched more of the girl with the pony tail and Davida helmet futtering with her combination.
Excellent sentiments, looking forward to chugging along on a RE 350 after 35 years biking hiatus.
Have a wee well deserved break and happy Christmas to you and yours.
Beautiful video Stu! Meticulous and thoughtful as always. I have times when I feel the need for speed, but for the most part I ride for the pleasure of the adventure. Low powered bikes provide a completely different kind of enjoyment from the faster ones that really want you to just go as fast as possible. Slow down and enjoy the scenery, stop and smell the roses, take that random road you've passed by before, just to see where it goes.
Such a fantastic take on the motorcycle experience, when I’m out on my bike running errands, arriving at work, or on a tour…as I’m walking away after the kickstand is down, I can’t help but to look back and feel a sense of fulfilment after the ride. I still can’t believe that I get to ride motorcycles…thanks for the video and hello from Canada.
Have a well earned break Stuart, thanks for all the excellent content this year. 👍
Morning stuart i have been riding motorcycles over 50 years and that feeling of freedom and togetherness with your motorcycle is the best form of therapy you can do it on your own or with others paul west yorkshire
Morning Stewart. Speaking only for myself but, I must have been six when I fell in love with motorcycles. Bikers lived in my road and I watched with longing eyes as 3 or 4 bikers sat in their fathers garage working on those motorbikes. Even my granddads both owned motorcycles as their primary mode of transport. When I was 14, at school one day our teacher started asking the class what we wanted to do when we left school? He made me stand up and I said... I want to ride a motorcycle Sir. I got detention as he thought I was taking the mick. But on my 16th birthday I hit the road with my L-plates on. I went through my speed stage quickly and by 1976 or 1977 I turned a new stock motorcycle into a cruiser for long distant comfortable riding. I was also doubly blessed as my girlfriend then my wife loved motorcycles and she started being the driving force on what we should buy next. It is the freedom and being part of the environment when you ride. But you also see more of your surroundings sitting on two wheels than four. Notwithstanding the great times meeting fellow two wheelers at bike meets or drag races etc. Or working on your mates bikes, great times. Soon you won't be able to do any of this when all that's left is public transport as the only mode for social mobility!
I love when you ramble Stuart, it makes the world a better place.
It’s the freedom and the feeling it gives you and your ability to know your bike like you trying to say it’s a marriage of pleasure and respect a true union just like man and horse.👏👏
i have been a motorcyclist since i was a boy, not for the speed, but the freedom and the fact that you can get out and just let the mind wander.
The picture on the left was myself 20 years old. I bought the frame with moulded in tank, 4"" over forks, 16"" back and aCB72 front wheel.
Then built a 650 preunit engine ( had a 500 T100a at the time) and all the rest.
Yes me and my mates had watched "Easyriders" at the pictures and I liked the idea of a bike that looked different, was comfortable and was still easy to ride (excuse the pun).
We weren't backpatch, half of us just coming out of apprentiships and enjoying a freedom that our peers and parents were not particularly
interested in. As you say we move on in motorcycling but some of your analogy I think is spot on.
Freedom had a price in that on our touring ventures back in the late 70's early 80's there were some pubs and cafes that flat refused to serve us and we always said OK your loss and moved on-no trouble. Happy days.
Later on with shorter hair, quieter bikes and more modern leathers -no problem. The whingers of today don't know they're born. Hey Ho! -
Seasons greetings to you and all.
My first road motorcycle, a tiger cub, took over from the long bicycle ride to work in the 60s. I was always taking engines to bits. I lived on getting the cheap bikes I got hold of to run and run better. It was the mechanical side at first but was infected with the magnificent freedom and did not even get a car license until my mid forties. So really Stuart, I, and maybe others fit into a 4th category. Now at 75 years I have a 350 classic Royal Enfield and loving it. Have3 a well earned break, and we look forward to more your insights on your return.
I was 14 back in 1965 and still school went into Leeds and I always called into a Harry wraggs motorcycle shop to look at a tribas on stand and think one day I want one of them so at 17 I passed my bike test and set of on my c50 Honda it was brilliant did 13000 miles on her did not even no how to look after her but it was great just to get out and ride now at 71 and lots of years of and motor cycles and back to riding again two years ago lots of things have changed but the feeling I had on my c50 is still with me
I started riding in 1963. Got my first bike in 1964. My perspective is that the third type of rider, that you describe, relates to his machines as extensions of the self. As the self changes, so does the correct form of bike desired. This type of rider has a desire to be one with the bike and in doing so, the bike "disappears" into a background and the self is "flying through space". I think that is the basis for why we see the term "freedom" associated with motorcycling. And travel expands that freedom. Leave your problems behind and go...but there are always problems whilst on the go... that's where a little mechanical ability is a bonus.👍
I see motorcycle riding as a craft and sometimes as art. The pleasure I deride from riding my bike is from the constant practice to perfect the art of safe riding (perfection not achieved yet!) coupled with the pleasure of being a little bit free.
I also maintain my bike, a W800 of 11 year vintage).
I came back to biking just over 12 months ago after a jolly long time away, some 3 marriages, children, mortgage etc. etc. later at 65 I'm back in the saddle. Truly magnificent, inspiring, some times worrying (cars pulling out of side roads etc.) but I'm in love with it. Which reminds me my front tyre is 10 years old (new Battlax due this winter Service).
As a mechanic still running a business the maintenance gives me much pleasure too.
Be safe folks. It is THE most important thing.
God bless you all. 😊
All good stuff Stuart, 50 years ago I needed to have some everyday transport, then when finances allowed I needed a bike to descover the greater world out there, move on 40 years and after having every conceivable type of bike I have never lost my love of them, but I find that I like my big bike to be my racehorse, and my smaller bikes to be my shire horse, but I now enjoy riding the smaller ones more, for the reasons you explain in your videos. Whatever you ride the main thing is to enjoy it.
It was 1960, I was 5yo playing outside (as they did in those days) riding my scooter up and down terraced houses road in London. When a motorbike rolled up, parked and rider went inside. I was fascinated by the concept. An old thumper, greasy looking and old. It was love at first site and when I ran my hand along its hot engine burning myself slightly, I was marked for life. And so it is, now almost 68 and still riding from about 10yo. Been through many bikes building up to a pinnacle. Hayabusa for 20 yrs followed by a Harley Night Train. But the NT started feeling heavy and cumbersome after 10 yrs. I felt it was time to climb down the mountain back to the beginning. Which I did, now with a Royal Enfield Classic 500 Tribute Black. Now just happily chuffing along with no hurry to reach 'my end'. Merry Xmas Stu.😊
Well put indeed Stu. Thank you for putting into words, what I’ve always known, but was unable to express!
I started on bicycles at 5 like most, then borrowed a 3.5 horsepower minibike with no brakes at 8 in 1967. At 12 I had a paper route, mowed lawns and shoveled snow to buy a 65cc 2-stroke dirt bike, a Harley Davidson imported from Italy. At 14 I moved up to a 100cc Kawasaki 2-stroke dirt bike. At 20 I bought a 650cc Yamaha XS and only rode it for 6 months every year, and a car the colder 6 months in upstate NY State. In 2002 I bought a new Honda 600cc V-twin Shadow VLX, and in 2012 added a second motorcycle, a used 2008 Kawasaki ZZR-600 sport tourer. I now live in Kentucky, and ride once a week if it is at least 50 degrees F. It is an addiction and stress reliever.
Glad you picked up on the Robert Pirsig connection - on a bike you are part of the scenery not a passive observer! :)
What a philosophic highlight! After years with all the mentioned "up's & down's & in's & outs" with/on own motorcycles, horses, sled dogs, bicycles,... I - for my very unimportant own part - highly appreciate one thing: That finally someone found the right words for my own thoughts & feelings 🙏🤝👏
For me, it's the sense of moving through space, at speed without having a big box of metal, glass, and rubber around me. I find it exhilarating and life-enriching =)
Primeval caveman🤣. That's definitely me😂.
Thanks for all the work and effort you put in Stu. Have a great Xmas and all the best for 2023. Cheers🍻
When i get on my bike & just roam around the countryside, my imagination makes me feel like an olde time cowboy on his horse riding from towne to towne, total stranger & loving it. I'm 74 yrs young & have two bikes, no more cross country ventures, just day rides that usually take up most of the day. I will never stop until the day i can't climb onto one, the i'll go 3 whl if i can. Nice videos sir, great philosophy, i think all of us diehard cyclists go thro' all three stages which you mentioned & most of us get tamer as we age, then we stop to appreciate the countryside & smell the roses along the way. Merry christmas to you & all your people & many more decades of happy motorbiking, in spite of what the climate people would like to do with our 2 wheeled friends. Ric, ontario canada. P.s., it's getting cold here now, however, i went out on my boulevard 650 yesterday for a couple of hrs, had a ball but just about froze them off, however, next slight warmup & back on the road again. Bye now.
Merry Xmas and a happy new year Stuart 🎄 Looking forward to hearing your ghost👻 story on the 23rd.
I passed my bike test this year at 48 i wanted to ride when I was younger but lost so many friends on motorbikes I thought I wouldn't bother but the desire never left me. I still ride my 125 i learnt on due to finances at the moment and I love it. I get a tremendous sense of inner calm and peace when I'm on my bike .
I find riding the most mindful activity that I have ever engaged in especially in the twisties where having your mind wander off can result in unintended consequences. I started out in the early 70s with a Ducati and was squarely in the first camp that you described. I raced the Ducati and despite being in the speed camp, I was also aware that racing triggered what Psyches refer to as Alpha brain waves, a survival mechanism that we shift too when presented with a life threatening danger. The best part of racing was the smile the riders would wear for a week after the meeting. Riding the Enfield these days doesn't quite reach the same level of euphoria (not sure if this is the right term) but the mindfulness it brings adds to the sheer pleasure of riding. Cheers Stu.
we call the guys that dress up larpers uncle stu. nothing really wrong with it, hope they're having fun but yeah seems like they care about appearances rather than the journey or riding that steel horse for the joy of it.
the only time I dislike these guys is when I ride by giving them a wave, because I love all bikes, and they just look at me and ride on because i'm not on a harley
When l had my Vespa, old guys on Harleys would often wave back and now l have my own Harley l make sure l keep waving at anyone.
Some Harley riders don’t approve of my non HD regulation gear either 😂
I agree with your analogy between the horse and the motorcylce. When I drive a car I feel as I were inside a herring can, isolated, unconnected, from the world around me. Riding a motorcycle gives me a (may be irrational) sense of freedom, that I can reach the place I want to go by myself, without struggling against the odds, in spite of the cold, the heat or the rain... and keeping forever my loving memory of my fisrt motorcycle, a Gilera Macho 200, that hardly reached 50 mph against the wind.
Ayyyyyy-Up, Hi Stuart I have to say your very good at rambling on about motorcycles, so much I've found myself looking forward to them.
Your answer to why we ride motorcycles, the film and film star was probably the best analogy I've heard.
Have a merry Christmas.
I think non motorcyclists tune in to listen to your dulcet tones wax lyrical about a pastime you are passionate about ! As soon as my Pug hears "ey-up" he climbs on my knee and nods off ! Don't take that as he finds you boring , he just knows for the next 20 minutes I'm not moving !
As you mentioned "poseurs" some years ago on a ride out to Helmsley it was so busy with bikes we ended up parking in the overflow carpark right at the back and a couple in thier 40's pitched up in a Merc , after exiting the car they opened the boot grabbed matching Rukka jackets & Shoei helmets and walked round the bikes in the village centre talking to people before getting back in thier car !
I've never quite got my head round the mentality in that and it still puzzles me today !
To me from the age 16 motorcycling has meant freedom only to be surpassed by the few times I've been lucky enough to go gliding. At 16 it was also my independence able to go when and where I wanted when I wanted and that matured I to nearly 50 year long love affair of motorcycling. through it's many reiteration. Now motorcycling is an escape only a few truly understand. Me and my beautiful 500 Bullet. What a lady
I couldn't agree more with the mentality you describe here, Stuey. I rode big hot-rodded Harleys most of me life, always dreamed of owning a Triumph. My wife didn't even know that but, surprised me with a 2011 Triumph America for me 50'th birthday. An 865cc no doubt, at first it took some getting used to, like going from a motorcycle to a mini-bike, ( mostly the lighter weight and quicker handling). But man I love this bike, not only is it much easier to handle, but this little engine and the gearing are quite impressive to me. Her and I can enjoy riding so much more, with the torque it has no problem with hills and such. As you and Mr. Perish describe the difference between motorbike and automobile. But, riding a bike is more like flying through the air like a bird, the freest feeling in the world, best way I can describe it. And yes the move to a smaller, lighter, much smoother bike is very much a maturity thing I'm glad other bikers understand. Thank you Uncle Stu' spot on my friend. God bless you and all, Ride safe mates. Just an Ol' grey beards 2 coppers.
Stu, I always love your videos not matter what you talk about. For me motorcycling just gives me so much pleasure, I go out just for the sake of it and always come home with a big grin on my face. Where as I drive the car because I have to for one reason or other but get no pleasure from it.
Many thanks for another good one. I used to tell people I’m not a motorcyclist but just a tourist that travels by motorcycle.