cars / cages

i've been meaning to banter/rant about cars for a while now. especially about the difference that i find from driving a car to riding a bike. it's something that i've had on my mind for some time now, long before i picked up Selene.

the thing that bothers me about cars is the fact that they really aren't a vehicle so much as they are a lazyboy with wheels. you open a door, sit down, and turn a key. once that's done you may as well be in a mobile home. you have the stereo, controlled climate, walls, someone next to you and a great big tv screen in front of you to watch the world go by.

i hate how relaxed you become while you drive. it's like you don't have to pay attention to anything around you. you're sealed off and you don't really experience anything so much as you view it. the one thing about riding a motorcycle that i love is that every part of you is doing something. each hand has a job, both feet have things to be doing and your brain has to keep all those working along with minding the road and all it's hazards. you aren't just riding or driving...you are a part of the machine and you both have to work together to get from point A to point B.

in a car, you have one foot on the accelerator and usually one hand on the wheel. the foot that's on the accelerator also governs stopping the car. what do you do with that free foot? nothing (unless you drive a standard). then you have the stereo to block out the world oh...and those wonderful inventions...cellphones.

i have never been really comfortable with cars because you aren't a part of the vehicle. it's just a cage that's pulling you from one destination to the next. i find it a little hard to explain, but it's like sitting down at the dinner table. you just kind of sit there, do what you have to do and that's that.

the bike is a different experience...a different animal. you are a part of that machine. your senses are alive and that machine responds to everything you ask it to do. going down that road is no longer a trip, not a point A to point B thing. it's an experience. it's alive with sounds and smells. you are hovering over that blacktop with nothing but a small patch of rubber holding you up. your brain is calculating at a ridiculous speed, making sure that all hands and feet are working together and keeping an eye on any and all things that could possible be a danger to you on the road.

i apologize if this seems kind of jumbled or nonsensical, but it's just thoughts on paper...digital or not. i only check for spelling errors, not continuity... :)

i couldn't be happier to call myself a motorcycle rider. i only wish my climate gave me the option to ride all year. you wouldn't find too many days that i wouldn't be riding.

6 comments:

Christine said...

Couldn't have said it better myself! I have several burnout pics..if you want them drop me a line at rainbow.wahine@yahoo.com and I'll e-mail them to you. Oh, and I added you to my blogroll... cheers! Christine

Macrobe said...

I agree about cars. That's why I drive a truck and a bike ;)

Giest said...

yeah. not exactly poetic, but i think it gets the point across...hehe. thanks Christine!

Kathleen Jennette said...

You said it so well... I have found now that I ride my drive. I usually keep both hands on the steering wheel and both feet on the floor(boards) just to keep that riding feeling going through me. I know, not the same thing but helps the head.

Biker Betty said...

Actually, KT, I'm the same way. I keep both hands on the bars and both feet on the pegs for the total feel. It helps me feel at one with the bike.

Giest, you have said it so well. To ride a motorcycle is to live the ride and better experience the journey. Everything seems more real: the smells, wind, feel, sights and it's just more fun!!! After a days ride I feel tired, but have such a feeling of completeness and satisfaction of the journey.

Giest said...

kt did: i think i may have to try that myself. maybe i can get rid of some of the humdrum of drving the cage.

biker betty: thanks, it seemed like such a jumble of thoughts when i typed it out...lol. and yeah, after a long ride, i'm so exhausted, but i feel so much more in tune. my body may hurt, but my mind feels refreshed.