motorcycles – Page 2 – Mark Mace in

I realized it’s all about the journey while riding the motorcycle earlier this year. I’ve said it several times and agreed with it, but it wasn’t until recently that it really hit home.

I was returning home from visiting a friend in South Carolina. I had a route all planned out and was cruising along enjoying the ride. I had a purpose. I was going to head over into the north eastern tip of Georgia (never been there on a motorcycle) then head north into North Carolina to Deals Gap and The Tail of the Dragon.

Well, needless to say I made a wrong turn somewhere along the way. I don’t know when I realized this, but I think it was when I saw the state line for North Carolina. I started to get a little worried, but the beauty of the scenery, the call of the open road, the wind surrounding me somehow kept me from stressing out. I thought about it a bit, knew I was heading in the general direction I needed to go and decided to let it all go. *Man, what a feeling*

When I stopped to fuel up, I got out my atlas to plot a new route to my destination. Along the way I found some beautiful road (64 and 28) that was clean and twisty, met some interesting people in Cashier, North Carolina (the “heartbeat of western North Carolina” the gentleman said with a grin) and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Even now, when I’m not on such a long trip, I find motorcycle riding very therapeutic. When I’m feeling stressed about work, I can hop on the bike, pick a road and after a while the worries just disappear because at some point along the way I remember it’s all about the journey. The destination will always be there, but it’s how you get there that matters.

Even now as changes are occurring at work it helps me to put things in perspective. So, as Queen would sing “get on your bikes and ride!”

I recently went on a motorcycle trip. Nice trip down to South Carolina to visit a friend of mine. 480 miles from my house to his without incident, without problem, and with a whole bunch o’ wind and pavement beneath the tires.

It was a much needed vacation for me, some time alone to reflect and think. It was also a nice start to what I believe will become a yearly ritual for me. Be it for a week or an extended weekend, a long motorcycle ride each year seems to be in order. But that’s another story.

During my time in South Carolina, my friends wife saw a couple of motorcyclists do the customary hand out to the side “wave” as we were heading into Columbia, SC on the “slab” (4 lane divided highway). At that point she asked “Why do they do that? They’re clear across the four lane!”. At the time I didn’t have a good answer for her, but as I pondered the question during my ride home, I came up with a theory.

Biker’s wave because we all share a common interest. Bikes. We know that no matter what the other guy is riding, he enjoys the same joy of being on the open road on two wheels. As you pass folks in cars, you have no idea what they might do for a living, what they like on tv, what hobbies they might have. All you know about that person is that they are heading to a destination in a car.

When you pass a biker, you know at least one thing. They ride. Now, you might meet that person in another situation and have nothing in common, but while you are on that bike, you share the road and a passion. In fact, you might not even like that other person. But, chances are, if you happen to be stopped along side the road, scratching your head and looking at your bike, they will stop. They might not be able to help, but they will stop, because they share that common interest.

Of course, some don’t wave. Maybe they’re shifting gears, didn’t see you or are just too afraid to let go of the handlebar. Or, maybe, just maybe, they don’t share that sense of brotherhood or their sense of brotherhood is only with those that ride the same kind of bike. Those folks are the minority.

I hope that helps explain to those non-bikers out there why we wave. In the mean time, keep the rubber side down and see ya’ll in the wind.