Share one of those things that you really enjoy about a good ride......

[Stanley Steamer]

.....as I was taking my daily walk this evening.....a smell.....a breeze on my back brought a memory of what I like so much about a good ride this time of year......it was the feeling I get when I've been running hard through a set of twisties and then come sailing into a little town somewhere....with the smell of freshly mowed grass........the feel of backing WAY off the throttle and just letting the old Girl coast into town as the sun goes down and  where you know you'll be soon getting a bite to eat at some good little Mom and Pop restaurant....

[The Anvil]

I know the feeling. I call it the "wind-down".

Benchracing with friends at the end of a ride is great too. But mostly I just really like the time alone with my own thoughts.

[BigAl]

You should write a Motorcycle Novel or something Stanley.

That was an awesome little short story.

[BamaDrifter64]

I like riding up into lower central Tennessee this time of year on the backroads...right around dusk...doing about 35 on a deserted backroad...hearing the crickets...smelling freshly cut grass here and there...better yet, passing a freshly cut hayfield where they've been rolling some bales...then hitting some hollows where the air is much cooler than the rest of the route you're riding...feeling that cold air hit the back of your neck...and getting goosebumps.... 

Dave

[Stanley Steamer]

I like riding up into lower central Tennessee this time of year on the backroads...right around dusk...doing about 35 on a deserted backroad...hearing the crickets...smelling freshly cut grass here and there...better yet, passing a freshly cut hayfield where they've been rolling some bales...then hitting some hollows where the air is much cooler than the rest of the route you're riding...feeling that cold air hit the back of your neck...and getting goosebumps.... 

Dave

 

[Stanley Steamer]

You should write a Motorcycle Novel or something Stanley.

That was an awesome little short story.

Maybe one day........

I have thought about writing a book about my life one day.....but I bet it wouldn't sell a dozen copies.....I already have a title in mind.....

Growing up in Mountain City, Ga.....I lived on Hellcat Creek road.....a little ways up the front side of Black Rock Mountain.....I thought I'd title it....."Down Off the Mountain"........

[fudgie]

I like the sound of harley's in the distance. Esp coming out of the mountains.

I love the smell of fresh plowed dirt.

[..]

No police, nospeeding ticket.

[Stanley Steamer]

No police, nospeeding ticket.

  .........I bet the school system frowns upon their bus drivers getting "performance rewards"??!!........

[Psychotic Bovine]

I like the feeling in the fall when you are warm in the sun riding your Valk and pass under the trees and get that flash of coolness.  And the way the leaves spiral behind you like a train of entities trying to catch up.
I really don't understand why more people don't ride.  I think it's the solution to world peace.

[Moonshot_1]

To go out, get on the bike and head out wherever chance takes you. No place in particular, just “Let’s go that way” And in going “that way” you discover a road you’ve never been on before and begin a little adventure for your day

If you’re lucky, the road will be a treat of twists and curves and rolling hills, and, if you are really lucky, a handful of spectacular views, some stunning sights,  and little town tucked away in it all with maybe the best little diner with the best pie you’ve ever had. Or largest burger you’ve ever seen.

That used to be common for me. But I’ve got a lot of miles on the bike and I’ve covered most of the roads around here. I must travel farther to find such roads and I look forward to the next little adventure.

How can you not love this?

[musclehead]

the wind, few bugs, no cow peeing on me from a passing bull hauler 


(has that actually happened? oh yes my friends)

[sandy]

You leave work for lunch wearing shorts. The riding pants are left behind because you're only going a mile. Just before arrival at the restaurant a bee flies up your shorts a stings you right below your yahoo!! AHHH  That's what I love. The swelling should go down in a few days, not to worry.

[Mickmanchester]

“you’re riding a bike thru the dawn, watching the sunrise and the mist on the fields with the trees appearing to float on a cloud, the smell is different also, maybe it’s the lack of traffic on an early Sunday morning, ………………..it’s the mist melting in the sun, it’s the ever changing sky from red to blue, it’s just a pleasure to be alive and witness these things. I looked sideways as a car passed the passenger put there thumbs up, they knew, I nodded back…..”

[Stanley Steamer]

The sound of the big girl as you downshift and get on the throttle as you prepare to pass a slow moving car/truck/other bike and the butterflies in your tummy as you pass them and don't back off until you're way past the century mark.....

[Quicksilver]

Sunrise, mist rising off the river, flat water reflecting the fall colors along the waters edge, the curve of the road felt through the Valkyrie as she purrs beneath me. Fresh cool air blowing on my face. Ah early morning rides.

[solo1]

Over the years I've owned and ridden many bikes.  All of them have given me the opportunity to experience the ride.

I always love the expectation of my worries dropping away, the magic of the bike leaning into the curves, the willingness of the bike to accelerate,  and the feeling of being of one with the motorcycle. 

Daytime rides with the farmers waving, the scent of newly mowed grass, the distinctive aroma of pine trees mixed with the sight and smell of Fall leaves.  Riding in the rain with that indescribable mixed feeling of apprehension, heightened senses,  and relaxation.

I do miss those nighttime rides in the summer where I looked forward to hollows in the road where the temperature drops enough to give me delicious chills, short lasting, but satisfying.  I, too, could go on and on about what it means to ride.

[hubcapsc]

There's a "state" I've gotten into more than once, I like to think about it, so it counts
as "one of those things"... In the fall, going up into the mountains, not going slow,
not hammering it, twisty road, rising elevation, if you have stock pipes you can kind of
"get just ahead" of the exhaust note, and it's like you're on an electric motorcycle (with
100 horsepower) and you can hear all the stuff you're passing through...

Moonshot_1's story reminds me of riding through Canton, NC, finding Crabtree Mountain
Road, climbing its switchbacks up to the top, coming out for just a second on an awesome
vista, and going down the other side on one of the coolest backroads I know of...

brief vista from the top: (cloudy the day I brought my camera, awesome the first time I came to the top)



down the other side: (leads to the Hot Springs roads...)



-Mike

[MP]

+1 on ALL of the above sensory addictions.  I even enjoy "bad" smells.  Factories, oil rigs, cattle and hog feedlots.  It is the sensory changes that bring one to life.

So few seem to enjoy these.

"It is too cold to ride"
"It is raining"
"IT is too hot"

etc.

MP

[MNBill]

There is a twisty road along a river, only about 15-20 miles long near here. The area is where I learned to ride as a kid with my Dad over 35 years ago. He has been gone 20 years, the memories of time with my Dad as I ride through the twisties makes for a good ride for me. It is a valley where the cool pockets suprise you and the river beside you can relax you or if you choose, twist it and ride hard and the tension from the day flows out and gets left on the road.

[FPG52]

Ya... I sit here and nod my head yes with each post that i read!! For me I have this miracle... I ease the lady down my long gravel driveway and turn onto the country road... hit the throttle and the miracle; everything i worried about got left behind on the gravel!! And it happens EVERY TIME

[Jess from VA]

Riding the Skyline Drive on a nice weekday with no traffic, almost alone, clear day with a forever view, standing on the boards for miles and miles, weaving thru the twisties at 35-45, stock exhaust with my sat radio on classical with a moving symphony. 

It is the closest thing to flying you will ever get.  Worshiping the church of nature.

[The Anvil]

the wind, few bugs, no cow peeing on me from a passing bull hauler 


(has that actually happened? oh yes my friends)

I once made the mistake of following too closely to a cucka sucka (septic pump truck) that had recently chowed down on a tank full of poo. I dunno if the valve was leaking or the hoses were just weeping residual but it got all over the shield and front wheel/fender. None on my fragile person but it was still pretty friggin gross.

I really like the smell of farms, all of it. Cut hay, manure, don't matter.

[Oss]

sweet posts

for me its feeling the air change as I come across a stream, hearing the waterfalls thunder as I come near the Croton Dam, knowing that I am riding into an area where the thunderstorm just moved out and seeing it move out away from me, feeling a light sprinkle come down to cool me off after a full hot day of riding and then when I am riding with another Valkyrie the harmonic from the 6's at certain speeds, even solo feeling what seems like a turbine whine in 5th gear on the highway

thanks stan

[Super Santa]

At sometime in the past few years I believe that I copied someone else's thoughts on this line and saved the comments.  It just seemed to fit me.....  maybe I wrote the words, maybe not...  The older I get the better my 'Forgetter' works.

I oftentimes feel the weight of and sometimes am nearly crushed by the failures, inadequacies, and disappointments in my life. I am besieged and at times tormented by thoughts, temptations, and desires that are contrary to the values that I have accepted for my life's path. When I am in the saddle, these weights seem to slip away and I am at that time less constrained than at any other. It is then that riding free is not just what the Dragon is, but is also what she delivers.

[Michael K (Az.)]

Another rider nodding along with all these fine descriptions.
On a long ride, after you've gotten past the beginnings of your start up and settle down, sometimes I get into this zone that is not inattentiveness but a centering of self being right where I'm supposed to be. Ramp this up with smooth sweeps and,
 I. Am.Released.

[ValkFlyer]

I’m sorry, one………..not possible.  I was 14 the first time I rode; the feeling was indescribable for me at the time.  It started with a small tingle in my spine, traveled up my neck, expanded across the back of my head and lit up my ears.  It was, forgive me, as close as I was going to get to having…well let’s just say the ultimate high for one growing of age.  I ran the gamut of wonder and amazement, initially it was the power..and then it was the feeling of flight, and then between freely swinging through each curve, each sweep to left and then to right, taking in the aromas nestled in the dampness of my surroundings and the quick environmental shifts in temperature I was lost in a new land and addicted for life.  

Now the greatest thing about all that I’ve share is that 42 years later I get the same feeling every time I throw a leg over my Valk.

[Willow]

At sometime in the past few years I believe that I copied someone else's thoughts on this line and saved the comments.  It just seemed to fit me.....  maybe I wrote the words, maybe not...  The older I get the better my 'Forgetter' works.

Ray, I know the fella that penned those words and he's happy to share them with you.  If they've touched something in your heart then they are yours regardless of where they originated.

For me there is a special moment that occurs often on successive sweepers when the bike and the rider become one, sway answers sway to become a dance, and the world blossoms into a place of special beauty, beauty of sight, sound and feel.  It's not always at the highest of velocities, but seldom at the lowest.  It's a visceral experience riding alone, but heightened even more when shared a partner or possibly two.  

When I think of my favorite rides, I remember a run through the Black Hills, coming down off the plateau in New Mexico, running up the mountainside at Cheaha (more than once), and a dash out of the northern edge of Arkansas.    

[Ramjet]

It's the rush from the seeming endless twisties and clean crisp air in the Georgia and North Carolina mountains followed by the resulting limpness and clear mind when finished. 

[Stanley Steamer]

It's the rush from the seeming endless twisties and clean crisp air in the Georgia and North Carolina mountains followed by the resulting limpness and clear mind when finished. 

Ouch ....limp?.....lol......more like wood with me after a hard ride....

[Stanley Steamer]

I like the sound of the "ticking" of the engine just after you've pulled in to park at the motel for the night....on a cool Fall night...

[sugerbear]

doesn't matter if i'm going to the store, or headed out on vacation.

the first rev of the motor leaving the house, when i hear the bike say "how far we goin today??"

[RoadKill]

If you have not tried it,I HIGHLY recommend taking 3 days with a general destination and throwing the map away and turning off the GPS about 2 to 4 hrs into the ride. No itinerary or location,no deadlines....JUST RIDE ! ! 

[Tim H]

I love the rush of adrenaline of when I get back to the computer and load up the website to update my 2nd state I have ridden in for my signature photo.  Well, when it happens, that'll be great. 

[old2soon]

The feel the smell the texture of it all coming together for my enjoyment. Just before i pull in the clutch lever and push it into gear with my left foot-i ask GOD for help in paying attention to those of them that would and could screw up a good ride. Any time of day or night lately seems to ease/release/temper/redirect my frustrations. This time of year with the colors the cold hollows the vehicle ahead of you starting to burn oil. Kids smiling and giving you a thumbs up. Lotsa young uns seem to get it. Just the very fact i'm alive AND on my Valkyrie. The other thing is-she don't pick at me if we miss a day or two here and there. I'm glad everyone don't ride. Those of us that do understand the smug/satisfied/gleefull/distant/tranquil look on our faces. RIDE SAFE.

[Valkahuna]

I can identify with, and smile in rememberance with many if not most of the feelings expressed here. It's why we ride!  As a matter of fact, I would say that if you don't get a rush just thinking about these things, then you should take your car instead.

What I get from riding any of my bikes is the feeling that I am "in" whatever environement I am riding through, rather than being detached from it, just looking through a window as I pass through. All the sensory inputs are so intense when riding. I smell whatever there is out there, fair or foul. I feel temperature changes as I pass through valleys, or drive over bridges. I especially enjoy riding in areas where the elevation changes cause wide temperature fluctuations, and suddenly, the mirrors, chrome and other surfaces on the bike instantly become coated with water vapor, like the mirror in your bathroom when getting out of the shower, and then, just as quickly they clear up again. I enjoy sounds that you never hear when in your car. I could go on, and on, but hey, you all know what I mean. That's why we ride! And if I had to explain it, you just wouldn't understand!

[the inspector]

I do beleive you guys covered all of it......life is good on a motorcycle!


"the inspector"

[czuch]

Yup, what yall said. I think the best for me is to get behind a hay truck.
We're grass deprived here and thats a smell from the childhood thats precious.
 Kids cant make money raking the neighbors rocks.
The desert at night is nice too.

[Black Dog]

It seems as though everyone that has posted in this thread 'gets it'...   

I've been on two wheels since the age of 9, and missed a block of time between the ages of 26 - 40, due to a very bad encounter with a drunk driver, on my '77 Wing...    I was married at the time, and my then wife helped me decide to stay away from the life of the biker, and live to see my boys grow up.

I can't put my finger on it, but after many 'spring' days, when Wisconsin finally gave up the winter ice and cold, to the kind of days you can hear HD's rolling down the road in the distance, I got the itch again...  About the same time, I started seeing some print ad's with a 'Beast' of a MC, made by Honda.  I wanted one...  I needed one...  I had to have one...

Fast forward 15 years...  I have one, it has over 80K on it...  I need it in my life... 

I find that 'any' time astride my Valk, is 'good' time...  I've said it many times in the past, it is my 'Mental Floss'   

Favorite 'type' of ride?  So many to choose from.  Alone, after work, looking to ride away from the stress of the day...  Like others have said, the smells, the sensations, the beauty that escapes those stuck in a 'cage'    Sometimes results can be felt in less than 50 miles, other times a fuel stop is required for the proper mental state to be reached...

Riding with a friend, someone you trust as a fellow rider, and seem to move as one (my buddy Brutis, Timbr, and Jim C. are on the short list).  North woods Wisconsin, the UP or Northern mainland of Michigan.  Usually two lane rolling, and twisty roads.  Posted at 55 or so, but often taken at a much zestier pace...    A five car pass, two bikes move as one, just a 'roll on'...  The right partner 'knows' what and when, and it just happens...

Then, because of the many deep friendships I have forged while being a part of this big ol' goofy club, we call the VRCC, I like an occasional large group ride.  Something like the 1000 Valk march, or the CBR (RIP  )...  It can, and does get a bit like a circus, but at the end of the day, it's nice to look back, and know you were a part of something special 

The days are getting shorter.  Mother Nature is smiling on those of us in the upper Midwest, with beautiful sunny days, and cool clear evenings.  So far, every day this week, with much of the same predicted through the weekend.  Soon the snow will fly, but for the next month or two, I plan on getting in as many 'Mental Floss' rides as I can.

Black Dog

[Big IV]

edit:  The author/owner of this content has asked us not to hotlink to his site.  Please comply now and in the future.

My wife was always one of the things that I enjoyed about a long bike ride. We could spend time together. That was nice. I can't wait until she is riding with me again.