Want to Make Friends? Ride a Motorcycle.
After dinner tonight I rode in to town to have coffee with some of the guys. Along the way I was think ing about the many friendships that I’ve made over the years because of motorcycles. The connections have been so diverse and some of them I’m happy to say have been deep, life changing relationships.
Tonight I had the chance to chat with a cherished friend I met over 15 years ago.
While riding my bike around one spring night, I saw a set of round headlights coming at me in the other direction while I sat at a traffic light. The rider on his CBR900RR went by, then made a quick u-turn and pulled up next to me at the light to say ‘hi.’ We made momentary small talk and went on our separate ways.
Weeks later, while I was walking through a street fair a blonde guy I didn’t know on rollerblades stopped me and introduced himself. He was the guy who pulled the u-turn to talk to me. I haven’t the slightest idea how he recognized me without my helmet on. (Isn’t that funny when you think about it?)
Little did I know that in that moment a friendship that would flow through nearly 2 decades would have been born.
What is it about motorcycles that make it so easy to meet new people?
I think it’s because you are more accessible on a bike, in a car you are more insulated from the world. I think too there is a common bond between motorcyclists and a kinship. I have met so many wonderful people since I started riding a few years ago. It’s a gift and I treasure it and what riding has given me.
You do signal you’re openness and accessibility on a bike and people respond to that. it’s also true that motorcycling attracts the BEST people!
Ladies probably experience this in a different way than men. I can’t say anyone has ever said hello to me because I was riding. I do get the “rider wave” of course. But I’ve yet to actually *meet* anyone.
You might be on to something there, Matt 🙂
You’re right. I don’t know why, but it’s true. I’m a deeply shy person and normally don’t strike up conversations with strangers, but on a bike, I’m approached all the time. People chat breezily with me about motorcycles, their lost youth and the thrill of the open road. I like how that has expanded my experiences.
Mirage was a blonde 15 years ago!? 😉
😀 The first rule of Mirage is you don’t talk about Mirage 😀
Different CBR! 🙂
I think its a combination of two things. First, you automatically have something in common with other riders so they are more likely to stop and say hello and talk. Second, most people who ride are men, so when we see a lady riding they tend to stand out.