Motorcycle happiness is just the best state of mind, isn’t it?
Just take one look at anyone about to get on – or off – a motorcycle.
There’s no mistaking that expression of joy.
Gearing up to head out on a motorcycle ride will make you smile.
Cruising through a corner in the sunshine will make you chuckle happily.
Roaring down the highway will make you grin like a maniac.
And when you climb off the motorcycle at the end of a long ride, you’ll STILL be smiling.
That’s motorcycle happiness in action.
Riding a motorcycle makes you happy, and that’s not a random coincidence.
Motorcycle happiness comes from the physical experience of roaring through the world on two wheels.
But there’s also a mental aspect at work.
You’re changing the way you think and feel – always for the better – every time you ride.
So why does riding a motorcycle make you happy?
Well, there are a few factors at work here.
Let’s break them down totally scientifically (he he).
Why Riding a Motorcycle Makes You Happy: 10 Perfectly Logical Reasons
1. Motorcycles snap you out of your routine
So many parts of our lives are pre-organised.
You’ve got to be at work at 830, five days a week.
Around that, you’ve got to pick up kids, groceries, mow the lawn, pay the bills.
It’s easy to feel like you’re just trudging through the days on a treadmill.
But then Saturday morning dawns – bright and sunny.
You wheel the motorcycle out of the garage, and there it is…
The first smile of the day.
With many more to come.
You’re about to charge through the world on a wild metal beast.
And you’re about to remember that YES, there is a reward waiting for you after all the chores and obligations of the everyday routine.
Are you smiling yet?
2. Motorcycle riding changes the chemicals in your brain
Weren’t we going to keep this scientific?
(Come on, you didn’t really expect that, did you?)
But here we go with a little help from the guys in the lab.
Riding a motorcycle releases feel-good hormones in your brain, such as endorphins and dopamine.
So there actually IS a scientific explanation for why riding a motorcycle makes you happy.
Not to mention the adrenaline rush which comes with going just a little too fast.
Adrenaline is pumping through your body, and your heart is beating quicker than usual.
(Oh dear, it was an honest mistake, Officer…)
Right, that’s enough science.
Let’s get back to the raw, happy emotional side of motorcycling.
3. Riding a motorcycle reconnects you with nature
Spending time around things that grow in the earth is not just for hippies.
You don’t have to get off your motorcycle and go hug a tree.
But just riding through nature is calming and uplifting.
It’s a huge contrast from being in stuffy overheated or air-conditioned buildings.
A little green in the landscape is such a relief when you’re usually surrounded by the endless concrete of city living.
So of course you find yourself grinning when riding down a street lined with trees in full bloom.
The other day we were out on the motorcycle and suddenly found ourselves riding alongside a huge field of sunflowers, as tall as me, with their yellow heads nodding in the sun. You can’t help but smile in wonder at the beautiful displays nature keeps offering.
And while all that visual beauty is a feast for your eyes, don’t forget your sense of smell.
The aromas of the natural world can also make you smile and relax.
There’s the:
- smell of freshly cut grass
- sharp scent as you ride through a grove of pine trees
- sweet drifts on the breeze that come from a field of purple lavender flowers, or a rose garden in full bloom…
And if you get to ride near the ocean, you’ll smell the sea spray splashing into the air and even taste the tang of the salt.
In spring and summer, when everything’s in bloom, nature sends you waves of happiness-generating smells, while also making you feel like you’re riding through a living painting.
4. Motorcycle riding is surprisingly physical – and that makes you happier
The worst thing you can do when you’re feeling down is stay in bed with the covers pulled up over your head.
That just makes everything worse somehow.
And wallowing in a low mood doesn’t help at all, does it?
Getting out on the road on a motorcycle is the opposite of being passive.
It’s very physically demanding – much more than people think.
You HAVE to focus on controlling the bike with your arms, hands, legs, feet and hips.
Roaring past trucks, and leaning into corners just right demands a series of exacting physical manouevers.
All that physical activity snaps you out of feeling low and passive.
It reminds you that you’re alive – and that’s a good thing!
Rather than moping at home feeling depressed, you’re suddenly feeling much more energetic and can-do.
You’re capable of taking on the world once again.
5. Your motorcycle is Your Thing
It doesn’t matter what else is going on in your life.
You always have your motorcycle.
You might have waited all week to get to your Saturday ride, only to wake up to grey skies and heavy rain.
Or you may have to waste (oops, I mean spend) a perfect sunny Sunday afternoon at the mother-in-law’s.
Oh, well.
Your motorcycle will still be waiting for you in the garage.
And if you’re having One of Those Days at work, where you really don’t know how you’re going to make it to 5 o’clock, your motorcycle is once again the secret antidote.
No-one can stop you thinking about your motorcycle, and planning your next ride.
It’s Your Thing.
Just the thought of pushing her out of the garage will make you feel happier.
6. Riding a motorcycle makes you feel better about yourself
It’s no mean feat to glide effortlessly around a tight corner, or overtake a huge truck safely on a 4 lane highway.
To do that, you’ve gotta have some serious skills.
And every time you pull off a tricky move like this (which is all the time, every time you ride, let’s face it) you can feel good about being a competent and skilled rider.
You must be good at this – or you wouldn’t still be here.
So riding a motorcycle works as a real self-esteem booster.
Don’t look now, but you’re smiling again.
7. Riding as a couple can make you happy
If your better half likes riding on the back of your motorcycle, you’re in luck.
Riding as a couple is one of the best things you can do for your relationship.
(And here are some tips on how to make riding on a motorcycle more comfortable for your passenger).
As you roar through the world together on a shared adventure, your spirits will soar.
Reach back to give her a quick squeeze on the leg, and I dare you to not start grinning.
Believe me, she already is.
8. On a motorcycle, you’re part of a community
When you ride a motorcycle, you’re automatically part of a community.
Some of the community members you don’t know well – if at all.
You’ll never meet the complete stranger on another Triumph you wave to as you pass each other on the highway.
You’ll have other motorcycle acquaintances you know a little – enough to catch up with from time to time, and talk bikes.
And then there are the lifelong friendships made over motorcycles.
The people you talk to for hours, and ride with often.
When you’re riding two abreast in the sun on the open road, yep, that’s a moment of pure, intense happiness.
9. Riding a motorcycle lets you be yourself
When you’re out on the motorcycle, it’s just you and the machine.
There’s no pressure to play any of the other roles you fulfil in your life.
You don’t have to be a:
- perfect parent
- patient partner
- caring son or daughter
- good employee, or
- productive member of society.
You can just be yourself.
There are no other pressures.
No other duties.
Your only obligation is to keep the motorcycle upright, and get home safely.
That’s a wonderful feeling – and it leads directly to happiness.
10. Motorcycles are more fun than you can believe
What’s the first thing you say when you get home after a great ride?
Wow, that was fun!
Right?
I hear myself saying it with a grin every single time we pull back into the driveway after a perfect day out on the motorbike.
Because riding a motorcycle is fun in its purest form.
On a motorcycle ride, you’re like a 5 year old jumping happily in a bouncy castle.
You’re laughing with the joy of the experience.
There’s no need to overthink it.
No need to worry about a single thing except staying more or less within sight of the speed limit, and getting ready for the next corner.
Moments of simple, legal fun at this intensity are rare.
And motorcycles deliver them in truckloads.
So YES, riding a motorcycle makes you happy
Why are we not surprised to hear that?
Next time you’re out riding your motorbike – or even thinking about your next ride – stop and check yourself.
Are you already smiling?
Are you feeling more positive about everything in your life?
Are you laughing with the sheer joy of being one with your special machine?
Yep. Thought so.
Because motorcycles make you happy in a million different ways.
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