The feeling of riding a motorcycle is difficult to explain to someone that has never been on a motorcycle before. But the best way to describe it is if you imagined yourself riding on a little thunder cloud. Your senses are also more responsive and your connection to your surroundings become stronger.
Overview
In this short article, I try to explain what it feels like to ride a motorcycle as if you have never been on one before. This is very difficult to explain so I’ll compare it to things that you might be more familiar with.
We’ll discuss the following:
- What it actually feels like to ride a motorcycle
- How your senses are heightened
- What makes riding a motorcycle so great
What it actually feels like to ride a motorcycle
When people try to explain what it feels like to ride a motorcycle, they usually start talking about what you need to do to ride one. I won’t go into that too much if I can help it. I want you to know what I experience; what it really feels like, what you can relate it to and what happens to you emotionally.
I think the best way to relate to the feeling is to imagine you are sitting on a magical cloud. Not just any magical cloud… a thunder cloud! And it’s only big enough for you and maybe one more person to sit on. You are able to see everything below and around you.
Thunder clouds don’t go very high so you are almost just above the ground. Moving over the earth’s surface the sound causes people to stop what they are doing and look at you and your magical thunder cloud as if you are Thor himself reminding humans that he still exists.
Some hide away from your sight as they are frightened by your presence. Others rejoice you when they feel the delightful tremble in the earth as you move past them. Some might just stand there in disbelief of what they had just witnessed.
Riding your thunder cloud gives you a sense of pride but also some discomfort as you are loved and hated at the same time. But you don’t pay too much attention to those people because you are too busy. Controlling a thunder cloud isn’t easy and it takes a lot of practice to get it right.
On your thunder cloud, you are exposed to all the weather. The rain, the wind, the insects and even the sun as your cloud does not enclose you. You are on top of it. Because of this, you wear special clothing to protect you as you ride through it all.
Riding a motorcycle is really that magical when you go for your first ride. But after a while, you get used to it and putting on your special clothing becomes more effort. One day, you stop riding and do other things. But it’s not the end because after a while you forget what your thunder cloud sounds like and you decide to go remind people that you still exist. It’s as if you are riding it for the first time.
How your senses are heightened
This is a big part of the experience. Your senses are heightened which makes you feel more connected to reality. To explain this, I’ll compare it to something you can just try out for yourself around our home if you don’t get what I’m talking about.
When your senses are heightened, you start noticing things that you didn’t notice before. To relate to this, lay down on on the ground or grass somewhere outside. Yes, really… Now watch the ants or any other insects. Notice what they are doing and how they are doing it.
After about five minutes, you notice other things that you never realised was happening around you. You feel like you are in another world but you are still in the same world you live in every day. You feel like you have been asleep your whole life or in autopilot just letting life go by you.
At that moment it might seem like you are rediscovering things. Kind of like a baby would discover that they have hands and that they can control it. This is what you feel when riding a motorcycle for the first time. It’s like the bike is a part of your body that you haven’t discovered yet.
What makes riding a motorcycle so great
To me, it’s the things I mentioned above. There are many mental benefits to riding a motorcycle (see my other post: Mental benefits of riding a motorcycle). But the best thing about it is that it makes me feel free from everything in my life and even my own mind.
One thing that many people talk about is the wind in your face as you are riding. I don’t get this. I tried riding without a helmet once when my girlfriend brought my bike for me but didn’t bring an extra helmet along (we took the backroads). My eyes were tearing up even though I had my glasses on. I don’t think it’s fun so I always wear a helmet.
The last thing I want to mention is the corners. This is my favourite because I get to lean in just above the ground like you’re trying to kiss it. I never go around a roundabout only once. I can imagine some old people in a car thinking “there’s a lot of bikers today and they’re all wearing the same clothes” when I go past them the third time.
Final words
As I said, it’s really difficult to explain the feeling of riding a motorcycle but I hope this helps. It’s definitely something everyone should try at least once in their lives. If you don’t have a bucket list, make this the first item on your list.
Featured image by pexit_55 on Instagram
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