The Joy of Riding Motorcycles

Motorcycles are far more economical than cars to operate on an initial purchase and running costs basis – they also take up less space in a car parking spot and require a fraction of the fuel of a car for travel. Beyond these practical advantages, motorcycling is a much more dynamic and involving experience than driving a car. The rider is an integral part of the machine and his or her body movements directly affect the way the bike performs – steering, acceleration and braking.

There is a lot of risk involved with riding motorcycles but, like most things in life, the pleasure is greater than the danger. Riding is a very spiritual thing, it is a meditative and hypnotic pursuit that allows the rider to completely focus on beauty, speed and death simultaneously – as long as he or she is skilled enough to do so safely.

While the original British firms of BSA and Norton were once the largest producers of motorcycles, the industrial revival of Japan in the 1970s meant that Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki overtook them and dominated the industry. European companies such as Ducati and BMW have come back since then, however.