What I've Learned After 160,000 Miles on a Motorcycle

One Friday morning last month I decided to ride to Nashville, TN for lunch.  It's 260 miles so I made it right around 1:00 pm.  I love Nashville and the ride there and back on the coutry roads was incredibly relaxing.

On my way back I added up the miles I’ve ridden on a motorcycle… around 160,000 (about 260,000 km). Not a lot by some standards but a ton more than people who buy a bike and leave it in their garage.

A few thoughts:

1. There is nothing like the open road on a bike. Nothing.
2. I love the Goldwing (just my preference… HD riders are fine people too! :) )
3. If you appear approachable, people everywhere will ask where you’re heading, strike up a conversation and wish you well… and I love that.
4. People are generally decent.
5. Some are not.
6. Even when gas is $3.79 a gallon, you can go over 200 miles for under $20.
7. I love long stretches of straight road… the Goldwing is so perfectly balanced you can ride for miles with no hands.
8. Bluetooth in my helmet means I’ve had some amazing phone conversations with friends I don’t always get to talk to.
9. In light of # 8… Secure your phone well to your bike. There’s nothing like dropping your phone on a bridge in mid-conversation with someone and the last words they hear are… "Oh crap".
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. No matter how strong you are you can’t lift a 900 pound bike out of a ditch when it’s upside down by yourself. People are always willing to help (see #4).

I’d love to think that I’ll get another hundred thousand miles in before I can’t ride anymore… But then there’s always a Can-Am Spider.