Motorcycling is generally considered to be a very dangerous hobby so most people will never even entertain the idea of trying it out. We all try to balance risk and reward in life, but I’d like to make the case that the reward of motorcycling is definitely worth the risk. 

If motorcycling is very dangerous (it is), then the reward must be very rewarding? Yes. Yes it must. If you’ve never tried, I have good news for you. Motorcycling is one of the most rewarding things you can do. I believe I could make a compelling case purely on the sensation of being out in the open, leaning in and out of turns, feeling the wind and the speed. It’s fun, it’s exciting and physical and it’s like nothing else. Bikers know what I mean. But I would like to focus on another aspect, the positive mental health effects of motorcycling.

I’m a thinker. I think a lot. About the past, the present, the future, the universe, our existence. Sometimes I think a lot, sometimes I think less, but I’m always thinking and I can’t stop it and “just relax”. I don’t mind most of the time, but it always keeps your mind occupied with something. There are very few things in life that can distract you from thinking. I’ve found meditation very hard, I have a difficult time trying to force myself to not think of things while not doing much else and I can’t imagine being the only one struggling. But I’ve found the perfect way to clear my mind and not think about anything and it takes no effort and no training and it happens automatically. You guessed it: a motorcycle ride.

When on a motorcycle, you know the deal. It’s fast, it’s heavy and it’s hard. You’re riding in traffic, full of other fast, heavy and hard things. The stakes are high, any mistake could turn into a catastrophe. That’s why so much of the training for a motorcycle license (at least in Sweden, at least when I got it 2004) focuses on instincts and awareness. This trains you to be in the ”now” all the time. The combination of speed and risk takes all your mental effort to make sure you got the situation under control. This paradoxically doesn’t tire you, it keeps you calm. There is no mental capacity to think about other things, all the mental computing power is spent on being aware while riding, but since you’re trained to ride you don’t have to exert any mental effort, it happens by instinct once you’ve become a seasoned rider.

For a thinker, it’s a breath of fresh air to have your mind cleared so completely. Especially when it’s so effortless. Combined with what I mentioned earlier, motorcycling almost turns into a wellness activity; physical stimulation and mental relaxation.

You should try it.