The Complete Guide to Motorcycle Riding

Chapter 1: What Is Motorcycle Riding and Why People Love It

Let's start by clearing something up: motorcycle riding is not like what you see in movies. There's no slow-motion shot of you gliding down the Pacific Coast Highway, no leather jacket blowing in a manufactured wind, no dramatic soundtrack swelling as you lean into a corner with perfect form. Some of that exists for about three seconds at a time, but the other 99% of the hobby is much smaller, much more mechanical, and, in its own way, much better.

At its core, motorcycle riding is a conversation between you and a machine, taking place at 60 miles per hour while the world scrolls past your shoulder. It's a physical, sensory, and even a mental activity that rewards your full attention. The day-to-day reality is that you'll spend as much time feeling like a mechanic as you do feeling like a daredevil. You'll check tire pressure, kick the chain to see if it's too loose, and learn the particular smell of your own engine when it's just warmed up. You'll get rained on. You'll stall at a green light and wave apologetically to the car behind you. You'll also have moments where you physically feel your brain unlock from the day's stress within five minutes of leaving your block, because there is simply no room in your head for work emails when you are calculating the best line through a sweeping curve.

If you've never been on a motorcycle,