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Why I Ride a Motorcycle
I write this article as the rider of a naked 1980 Honda GL1100 and as a clergyman.

A motorcycle often arouses interest and stimulates conversation with all kinds of people, and I have noticed that this is amplified by my wearing of a clerical collar. A vicar' on a motorbike is clearly a novelty, both amongst the biker community and people in general. The interest that is generated reminds me of the advertisement which was around in my youth in which the model Twiggy' enthusiastically proclaimed that you meet the nicest people on a Honda'. My Honda is a gateway to conversation with all kinds of people.

I first started riding 28 years ago when I was 16 years old and although I had a significant break from motorcycling during my 30's, I have always had a keen interest in bikes, illustrating the truth behind the oft used statement once a biker, always a biker'.

There are two questions which I am often asked: Firstly, isn't it dangerous? and secondly, what happens when rains?

Well yes, I have to admit that motorcycling has its dangers not least of which are the Smidsy' car drivers (Smidsy = Sorry Mate I Didn't See You!) however the dangers can also depend to a great extent on how the bike is ridden... Speed limits and warning signs are there for a reason and experience combined with common sense and good training for new riders can help to minimise the risks. In a society that tries to cocoon people from all danger and remove any sense of adventure and excitement from life, it is nice to know that there are pastimes that can provide thrills, without necessarily providing the spills too. I guess that is why people take up hang-gliding and bungie jumping.

What happens when it rains? Well it is simple enough to answer that one You get wet! (Or at least I did coming back from a recent ride out).

So, what is it about motorcycling that appeals to so many people?

Someone once said that if you want to know why I ride a bike, ask a dog why it sticks its head out of the car window!'

The appeal of motorcycling is something that is hard to quantify, and quite frankly, virtually impossible to explain to those who have never ridden. To most motorcyclists, a bike is far more than simply a form of transport; it becomes a part of a lifestyle. Sweeping around the bends of a good road on a warm day is an experience with which little can compare. Senses tingle, you feel the road, the wind, you smell the smells and taste the air as you respond to the machine and the machine

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