The most common hobbies and rituals among motorcyclists

Only true motorcyclists can understand the close bond that is generated with their two-wheeled frame.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
22 May 2023 Monday 15:30
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The most common hobbies and rituals among motorcyclists

Only true motorcyclists can understand the close bond that is generated with their two-wheeled frame. And this relationship has nothing to do with the one that usually exists between a motorist and his car. And it is logical: on a motorcycle he travels -most of the time- alone, punished by inclement weather when it is present and with physical risk.

The feeling of helplessness is much greater than in the car and it all depends on that engine continuing to pull and those brakes continuing to be able to act when we need them. And in these circumstances there is an unconscious tendency to see the motorcycle as something more and to surround oneself with those hobbies and rituals that all motorcyclists have, even if they do not confess them. How many will biker readers recognize themselves in?

The vast majority of motorcyclists when they refer to their machine do so with a diminutive, a nickname or directly a name. Rarely, very seldom will you hear an owner refer to his motorcycle simply by a make and model, in the same way that no dog or cat owner refers to his beloved animal simply in terms of its breed or age but rather by its name.

The biker is usually quite superstitious (MotoGP riders would need a chapter for themselves). Even those who deny being so privately acknowledge that there are a number of routines that are never skipped before hitting the road. It is about seeking, again unconsciously, that protection against the feeling of helplessness and the variety is enormous: always get on the bike on the same side, cross yourself several times, always put on a certain item of clothing, always put on your equipment in a certain order. ...

Why deny that this widespread mania hides a point of narcissism: there are many bikers who at least once looked for their reflected image in a shop window to see how "cool" they look on their motorcycle. A bit of forgivable vanity due to the unquestionable reality that whoever rides a motorcycle can never see himself on top of his saddle and takes the opportunity to do so. After all, the motorcycle also has its aesthetics.

When two bikers meet on the road they always greet each other; making the V with the fingers, showing the thumb or raising a leg if at that moment one hand cannot be released from the handlebars, but the greeting between bikers is a sacred liturgy on the road. As it is to stop to lend a hand to a colleague in need. There is an unwritten but real brotherhood that seeks to find protection in a hostile environment assuming that only another biker is capable of understanding your situation.

There is no logical explanation but, perhaps due to the unconscious fear of having left it on or as a mere compulsive tic, it is true that the habit of repeatedly pressing the indicator button exists among most motorcycle drivers, especially when stopped at a traffic light or driving straight at a good speed.

When you have been riding in the same gear for a long time -in sixth gear, for example, on the highway or fast road- it is not uncommon for there to be riders who downshift for a few kilometers just to change, out of sheer monotony. Dynamically, the engine appreciates it, although it is usually a gesture caused more by boredom than by technique.

This compilation of biker hobbies could not miss what is probably the most widespread of all and is singing at the top of your lungs under your helmet while driving. Confident that the noise of the engine and the air will drown out their bellowing, there are legions of bikers who give it their all emulating their favorite singers when they are in full swing. Obviously, if intercom and hands-free systems are used - increasingly popular - it is no longer so easy.

The arrival of cameras integrated into smartphones has further enhanced the well-known taste of the biker parish for photographs and selfies. People on two wheels love to take pictures of their motorbike, their partner riding the motorbike, both riding the motorbike and taking selfies next to the motorbike... It's universal; no matter what continent it is, where there is a proud motorcyclist there will immediately be a camera.