It's nice to see empirical data confirming what Riders have long claimed. Hopefully, even Standard Citizens (aka the non-Ridin' public) will take note of this study IF ( and that's a big IF ) it's widely circulated by MSM.
Of course, there will always be those unfortunates who are detractors. Think the medical professionals who mindlessly parrot the old "We call them 'donorcycles' " rub. Try as we might, the "donorcycle"-types are unlikely to ever understand Ridin'. After all; there
must be some predilection of acceptance to begin with, an open-minded desire to understanding what Ridin' might be like even though words alone cannot come close to expressing the experience of a good Ride. Indeed, how does one communicate this in words?:
Moving up the scale, there are the SO's who are non-Riders. They profess to care about their mates but, just don't understand the fascination or the attraction. Some are even threatened by the sway these inanimate objects have over their mates:
Even the simple pleasure of owning a nice bike has benefits; sometimes it doesn't even have to be ridden. We'd like to see a similar study of owners' reactions to having their bikes viewed approvingly by others. We predict that the findings of such a study will be similar to the H-D study:
Riders will talk of the pleasure of Ridin' in words and phrases that are vague and mysterious to Standard Citizens and cagers:
"No, Beatrice. A torque curve is
not a dangerous corner. Really..."
" (heavy sigh) Mortimer, I assure you that Lawrence Welk is
NOT a power band."
The effects that downtime has on Riders due to winter, personal obligations or mechanical issues, to name a few, are something that Riders know all too well. Cagers are unlikely to comprehend the deleterious effect when situations conspire to keep Riders from engaging with their chosen joy:
The study also suggests there are benefits derived from the physical exercise of Ridin'. Exercise
is important. And, some muscles are more important than others. To wit:
Something we all know but is not spoken of much are the challenges of Ridin' that can diminish the pleasure derived from the Ridin' experience. There are a very few that Standard Citizens can even relate to - think brain-dead texting cagers and traffic jams. Then there are the discomforts unique to Ridin', borne willingly by dedicated Riders that no cager is ever likely to fully comprehend. Riders are aware of them and will often take heroic and expensive measures to mitigate them but, at the end of the day, a long day of Ridin', say, the joy of Ridin' outweighs the discomfort:
Ridin' is a brotherhood. Or sisterhood. We wave on the road because we
know. When asked what
exactly it is we know, for this writer at least, it's difficult to express in words. It's something shared but yet solitary and alone. How does one express that? No one else is at the controls except the Rider.
At least now there is some evidence in the scientific community that supports what we've been saying all along; that Ridin' has measurable benefits.
Our closing salutation has always been meant as a farewell wish for the Rider, not unlike the old Mariners' phrase "
Fair winds and following seas". A hope that the Rider finds joy in that perfect curve, and realizes the positive effects described in the H-D study.
As always,
Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE