Why riders love the open road – Hundreds of AMCN readers responded to a very simple question, and revealed just how profound motorcycling can be
There’s something about a motorcycle that stirs the soul in a way few other machines can. As part of a recent BMW Motorrad competition, for the chance to win two passes to a Level 1 California Superbike School training day of your choice, we asked our readers a simple question: “What do you love most about riding motorcycles?” The responses we received were raw, heartfelt and inspiring.
For some, like reader Matt Fernandez, riding is “the most freeing thing I’ve ever done”, a personal escape hatch from the pressure cooker of everyday life. “A few hours in the saddle makes it all manageable,” he wrote.
Reader Ben Sykes waxed poetic about the sensory richness of two wheels: “Every sense is alive,” he wrote. “The scent of the bush, the rush of the wind, the bite of cold morning air. It’s pure presence.” That immersion was echoed by Salim Aljunied, who described it as “meditation at 100km/h”.
For others, riding is about connection – to the road, to a machine and even to strangers. Graham Ball said it best: “I’ve made more lifelong mates at roadside stops and servo forecourts than I ever did at parties. It’s a brotherhood on wheels.”
Several readers tapped into the therapeutic value of a ride. Andrew Dowling called it “therapy with no office”, and Sheryar Bhesadia likened it to a spiritual detox: “No traffic jams in the mind when you’re gliding between trees or along the ocean. Just peace, and adrenaline.”
Not all reflections were quite so abstract, either. Some, like Ian Pickett, celebrated the tactile pleasure of a perfect run on a beloved machine: “My BMW R 1250 RS hums beneath me, the curves roll out like ribbon in the countryside – it’s joy on two wheels.”
And sometimes, the joy is simply in being truly, utterly present. “There’s a complete, beautiful silence in my mind when I ride,” wrote Seumus Andrews. “It’s a stillness I find nowhere else.”
Even nostalgia made an appearance. Richard Paul King recounted his love affair with bikes starting in 1977: “My friend lent me a 350cc Honda and said, ‘Give it a go.’ I was hooked from that first twist of the throttle. Motorcycles have taken me places cars never could – geographically and emotionally.”
Of all the hundreds of frankly impressive entries, however, the one from reader Melvin Rivera stood out for its lyrical honesty and emotional depth:
“Every time I ride, I remember who I am,” wrote Melvin. “Not the worker, not the husband, not the student, but the person who just wanted to be free. Riding brings me back to my core self – joyful, fearless, alive. The road doesn’t care about your job title, your problems, your status. It just invites you to dance with it. That’s what I love most.”
So, a huge congratulations to Melvin for capturing the spirit of motorcycling in one unforgettable paragraph, and an equally huge thanks to all the other passionate riders who sent in their entries – they were tremendous fun to read, and very inspiring.
Other responses
“Back in 1977 I was racing my Formula Vee at a club meeting. My friend lent me a 350cc Honda and said, ‘Give it a go.’ I was hooked from that first twist of the throttle. Motorcycles have taken me places cars never could – geographically and emotionally.”
– Richard Paul King
“It’s the most freeing thing I’ve ever done. Riding clears my head, lets me escape stress, and resets my soul. No matter what I’m facing, a few hours in the saddle makes it all manageable.”
– Matt Fernandez
“What I love most is how the machine and I become one. I’m not just riding it – I’m in it, feeling every vibration, tilt and pulse of the road. It’s meditation at 100km/h.”
– Salim Aljunied
