http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=518431&topart=pickups
nice read ! :D. Text below for whom internet access is blocked in office.
vibhu..
Why We Ride: The Joy of Motorcycling
What's the allure of motorcycling? One rider attempts to explain…
By Stephen M. John of MSN autos
What attracts people to motorcycling? When faced with the numerous
personalities of both riders and motorcycles, there may not be a
single answer. Despite the differences between touring rider and hill
climber, chrome-encrusted cruiser and nimble Grand Prix race bike,
there are some universal attributes that get under the skin of the
motorcyclist and feed the desire to ride.
Freedom is often cited as an attraction, but what does that mean?
Compared to driving a car, riding a motorcycle offers freedom from the
constraints of four-wheeled physics. When a car negotiates a turn, it
leans to the outside of a corner, struggling to maintain its former
direction of travel. A motorcycle leans into a corner.
This may not sound like much, but until you've experienced both you
can't understand the superior grace and simplicity of this mode of
travel. Cornering becomes a symphony of precise movements instead of
an awkward wallow, working in harmony with the road instead of
fighting it tooth and nail.
The Sense(s) of Freedom
Once freed of your steel cage you are thrust into the world to
experience a broader existence unfettered by HEPA filters and climate
control. Your nose will get a vivid introduction to skunk roadkill and
diesel exhaust, but will also revel in bread baking and plants
blooming. Your body will feel the thousand tiny impacts of raindrops
and absorb the buffeting of the wind. Your skin will feel the gently
warming temperature as you crest a hill and drop to the valley floor
below. You are no longer huddled behind a wheel disconnected from
nature. It's Lawrence of Arabia in Cinerama versus a daguerreotype of
a camel.
Wrap all this freedom in a lovely ribbon of performance, and you get
what experts call fun. Not the fake hood scoop, chrome wheels and
racing stripe school of performance. Picture instead a carrier launch
and you'll be in the right neighborhood, and you don't even have to
pledge seven years of service. Best of all, this astounding
performance is dirt cheap. For less than half the cost of most
commuter pods you can buy a stock motorcycle capable of 9-second
quarter miles.
Don't bother figuring the cost for a production car with matching
performance, because you won't find one. AMG teamed with Mercedes to
make the CLK-GTR capable of a 9.4 second quarter mile, and it's a
steal at a measly $1,000,000. Performance cars do have the edge in
aerodynamics and top speed, but to use them you'll need lottery
winnings and the Autobahn.
All of this freedom and fun doesn't come without a price. First of
all, you have to learn how to ride. Given the right training and the
right attitude, the skills can be acquired by just about anyone. Want
proof? One of my first forays was on my dad's 1975 Honda CB125S, a
ride so mild it's hard to believe it could burn gasoline. I was so
overwhelmed I couldn't remember how to stop, and ended up using a
conveniently located pickup to do the job. Fortunately the Motorcycle
Safety Foundation (MSF) runs well-organized classes where you can
safely learn motorcycling in a pickup-free environment.
Motorcycles? Practical?
What about practicality? Over the years I've carried a turkey,
two-by-fours, a dozen roses, crutches and a bookcase on a motorcycle,
but even I haven't tried transporting an infant or a major appliance.
But how often do you really use the cargo capacity of a four-wheeler?
Not often, judging by the throngs of single-occupant vehicles choking
the roadway, wasting gas and time hauling around a sluggish,
three-quarter-empty steel box.
Finally, there's the favorite of mothers and fathers everywhere:
danger. On a motorcycle you are more vulnerable and you'd better
accept that fact and ride accordingly. I always ride as if I am
invisible to the sea of cars around me, because all too often it's
true. I wear a helmet, jacket, boots and gloves regardless of the
temperature or length of the ride. You might think it's a hassle just
to reach the corner store, and it does take more time than slipping on
a seat belt. For me it is an important ritual, a reminder I am about
to engage in an activity with a fair amount of personal risk. Donning
my helmet triggers a pre-recorded message telling me I'd better be
alert if I don't want to end up as a hood ornament.
Risk is inherent in motorcycling, but it can be managed and turned
into an advantage, one that I think is the real long-term attraction
of riding. A new rider must gain experience, since at first everything
you have is spent just keeping upright. Gradually, shifting gears and
scanning for Dozy Joe Auto blowing through a stop sign takes less
effort as your brain adjusts to a new sensory plateau.
Engaging the World Around You
While motorcycling you are still fully engaged with the outside world,
but the rest of your brain is free to explore paths otherwise
unavailable. With your mind free of rigid supervision and
self-awareness, all sorts of problems get solved in the background and
tension evaporates. Exactly the opposite happens in an automobile.
Driving makes so few demands on our minds and bodies we go on
autopilot. How many times have you driven to a familiar location, and
arrived only to realize you don't remember large parts of the journey?
Need another rationalization regarding the two-wheeled wonder?
Motorcycling is a resounding social plus: reduced traffic and parking
congestion, better fuel economy and fewer noxious emissions.
Motorcycle ownership should be a Green party litmus test. Sadly, these
benefits are lost on the majority of Americans, whose opinion of
motorcycles seems to be forged solely by watching Marlon Brando tear
up a small town in The Wild One. This shared sense of being outcast
and knowledge of how much fun we're having leads to a sense of
community among riders. Have you ever seen two automobile drivers wave
to each other because they were driving? For me, waving to a fellow
rider is nearly a daily occurrence. The horror, the horror...
Freedom. Fun. A clear mind and a clear conscience. These are all
powerful reasons for staying in the saddle. But an even simpler truth
about motorcycling keeps me coming back for more: I always feel better
after a ride than I did before.
An avid bibliophile and lifetime motorcyclist, Steve John has raced in
various motorcycle series and events, including stints in multiple
classes at the Isle of Man TT.
------------------------------------
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