Why We Ride: Embracing the Joy and Danger of Motorcycling

In this episode of Peace Love Moto, we dive deep into the eternal tension between the joy of motorcycling and the risks that come with it. Ron shares real-life stories, hard-earned wisdom, and heartfelt reflections on what it means to ride with mindfulness, purpose, and protection. From dealing with concerned friends and family to navigating the unpredictable nature of the open road, this episode explores how riders can embrace safety without sacrificing the soul of the ride. We cover everything from proper gear, road awareness, animal hazards in the Rockies, to the mental discipline it takes to ride smart. If you love motorcycling and want to keep riding for years to come, this is your reminder to ride with gratitude—and gear up with intention.

Keywords: motorcycle safety tips, mindful motorcycling, riding gear, motorcycle risk vs reward, safe riding mindset, motorcycling in Colorado, why wear a helmet, Rocky Mountain rides, motorcycle road hazards, Peace Love Moto podcast

Chapters

• 0:10 Friends worry about motorcycle dangers
• 1:41 Welcome to Peace Love Moto
• 3:19 Reality versus controlled environments
• 5:12 Dressing appropriately for the ride
• 7:20 Respecting the road and yourself
• 9:58 The importance of proper helmets
• 12:30 Gratitude for safe journeys

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

What do you hear from your friends and family when you tell them about your motorcycle adventures? When you've poetically described your ride as a mindful dance between you, your machine and the open road, how the wind becomes your melody and the road becomes your verse, how the world opens before you when you ride, and that feeling of being fully alive, like that wild, untamed spirit that lives within you, and your friends and family respond by saying you know, I saw on the news the other night that a motorcycle rider got killed out there. Yep, got hit by a truck. I can't imagine what that would have looked like. You know those things are so dangerous. I don't know why you do that. You know you should just sell that thing and go buy a nice set of golf clubs. Ugh, yeah, we hear that a lot, don't we? We hear it all the time, and they're right in some ways.

Speaker 1: 1:32

While I would argue, if motorcycles are dangerous, I would agree that riding them, yeah, can be. We've got to forgive them, though, and not get mad, because they're just concerned about us, right, and that should be appreciated, yeah. Or if they're not concerned about us and they're telling us that because they think we're total idiots, well, either way they're making an observation. So unless you've been convinced that riding is just too much of a risk to your health and you've decided not to ride, then the rest of this episode is probably not for you. But if you're like me and the happiness pull of riding is just too strong, then we've got to figure out what to do to make the ride as safe as possible without impacting the fun. Is that hard to do? Well, kind of, but it's getting yourself prepared and protected for a ride that's absolutely worth it. It absolutely is. Well, let's talk about that.

Speaker 1: 2:40

Thank you for joining me today. Thank you for joining me today. Recorded in beautiful Loveland, colorado. Welcome to Peace, love Moto, the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful, easy feeling as we cruise through this life together. Are you ready? Let's go. They're right. You know Riding a motorcycle can be a dangerous thing to do, and especially when it comes to dealing with the unexpected.

Speaker 1: 3:27

And you may think you're in total control out there, like a professional moto-GP or motocross racer like you see on TV. But you know what's different? They're riding on a closed track, for one thing, yeah, they're well-positioned to push the limits and, yeah, everything's different. Pretty much, race tracks usually don't have high school students who just got their driver's license cruising around out there. No one on the racetrack is scrolling on their phone and race courses are kept totally free of debris, even free of oily patches, and free of rocks, and most certainly free of animals.

Speaker 1: 4:11

I'm reminded when I lead tours in Rocky Mountain National Park with Green Jeep Tours out of Vestas Park. I'm in the front of the Jeep, driving with a headset on, and I'll typically have 10 to 12 guests in this open air customized Jeep and yeah, it's a very cool situation. And yeah, it's a very cool situation. Sometimes my guests will ask about where and when we'll see the animals, and I kind of jokingly tell them that, well, unlike the jungle cruise ride at Disneyland, where you know where the animatronic animals are all the time out, here we have no idea, because what's different is? This is reality, this is the natural world, and the animals will roam wherever they want to. Now I realize that I'm probably talking some of you out of coming out here to Colorado for a ride, but I want you to know too that there are very, very effective ways to minimize the risk to your health if you do encounter something that's unexpected. A large part of minimizing the risk is riding smart, not pushing your limits, and, in my opinion, a large part of minimizing the risk is riding with the right gear.

Speaker 1: 5:23

On dressing for the job, knowing the difference between dressing for a walk on the beach and dressing for a thrilling motorcycle ride through the Rockies yeah, I must admit it's just mind-boggling to me when I see people who have no clue how to dress for a motorcycle ride. Oh, my goodness, I'll bet you've seen it too. I saw it just last week Some dude riding his motorcycle with a full-faced helmet and a leather jacket, then below that with a full-faced helmet and a leather jacket, then below that what looked to be like a bathing suit and sandals. I make it a practice to be kind to people, not to judge others. That dude was such an idiot and I'm sure you've seen the same thing Like someone wearing full riding gear with no helmet. It's like thinking, well, if I fall, I'm sure that I'll hold my head up in such a way that I won't impact the ground or a tree or anything else. Yeah, good luck with that. As I listen to myself, though, I know that I'm coming across. This is coming across as a lecture, and I also know that a great majority of the listeners already wear the full gear helmet, jacket, gloves, riding pants, riding boots, all of that stuff. So this may be just a reminder or some good advice that you can give to someone else that you might like out on the road.

Speaker 1: 7:19

Well, it starts with respect, I think Respect for the machine and an understanding of its capabilities and limitations, and an understanding of your capabilities and limitations and an understanding of your capabilities and limitations. It extends to a respect for the road itself, you know, recognizing these ever-changing conditions and, crucially, it means having a deep respect for other people out on the road, whether that's a car or a bicycle, or somebody walking or animals, like we described too. Safe riding is about being present. It's about scanning your environment constantly, anticipating potential hazards, making proactive decisions. It's about leaving the distractions of everyday life behind and focusing on the here and now. We've talked a lot about that, haven't we? The last couple of episodes? 100% focus, 100% zoned into what's happening all around you all the time. Now, this wisdom of safe riding also extends to your gear. Just as we described, it's very much tied to our mindset too. It's about knowing your limits your physical and your mental limits. It's about making the right, responsible choices, especially when it comes to things like managing fatigue and especially impairment.

Speaker 1: 8:46

I just want to say it now and I just don't say it enough, but I probably should Never drink and ride Full stop there. Never do that. As for riding too far between breaks, now that's what I'm guilty of. Sometimes I just get too enthusiastic, or whatever. I pick routes sometimes that are just too far for the day and I get too focused on getting from one stop to the next stop. I don't know because I'm having too much of a good time, but sometimes I find myself getting a little too tired and that takes the fun out of it. Right, there's no shame in pulling over to take a break or, for that matter, especially if the road conditions turn into something that oh yeah, I'm really going to have to pull off the road. In fact, it's a sign of true riding maturity. Again, I'm guilty. I've described about the fun of riding into storms to observe the power of nature and to see what I could do with that. Yeah, I'm not the best example. Sometimes that's just me.

Speaker 1: 9:58

I realize that I haven't spoken directly about the value of wearing a good quality helmet and a helmet that fits your head. I've heard any number of times people say that they don't like wearing a helmet because it's either too heavy or it's uncomfortable, that they don't like wearing a helmet because it's either too heavy or it's uncomfortable, or they can't see out of it. Well, I found that most of those people have picked the wrong helmet, one that doesn't fit their head or is of poor quality, and poor quality helmets are usually heavy and visibility is not great. So, yeah, a lot of it is just a matter of spending the money and getting something that fits your head, because, honestly, you should be able to have your helmet on your head all the time, all day long, and it shouldn't bother you a bit. If it does bother you, it doesn't fit. And not all brands are the same. We'll talk more about that later on in another episode. All brands are the same. We'll talk more about that later on in another episode. But wear a good quality, perfectly fitting helmet on every ride all the time.

Speaker 1: 10:56

I'll just share this. I was the second one to arrive where, way out in the country, some dude crashed his motorcycle and he wasn't wearing a helmet. He survived and he was actually up walking around. Believe it or not. I think he was kind of high too, but no, I'll not describe what his head looked like, but you can use your imagination and I'll tell you this he'll be getting a different style haircut for the rest of his life based on what I saw happen to his scalp. So, yuck, yeah, I've told you too much. That's an image, though, I just can't get out of my head. And let me just say this Don't be an idiot like him.

Speaker 1: 11:41

Wear a helmet, because here's the deal when we prioritize safety, we're not just protecting ourselves, we're also contributing to a more positive image of motorcycling for everyone. We're showing that we're responsible road users who value our own well-being and we care about those who care about us. That's back to that original discussion of what our families sometimes say. But we owe them that they love us, they care about us and they just want us to be safe and they want us to be around. So, yeah, we owe them that.

Speaker 1: 12:30

I'll close with this. When you head out for your next ride, remember that the freedom we feel on two wheels is a precious gift and that wisdom of safe riding is what allows us to truly appreciate and protect that gift. It's about finding that perfect balance between the thrill of the open road and the responsibility that we carry as riders. Our minds and our bodies. Those are gifts from God. My friends Ride grateful for everything you get to see and everything you get to experience when you're out riding, and be grateful too for every safe journey that God brings you through. And it's in that state of gratitude that I think, if you're lucky, you'll find a great deal of joy and you may even find a little bit of peace of mind. Thank you.