[Mr.Mazza]

My story is still writing itself but I'm interested in hearing how riding has changed or altered your lives, outlooks or whatever!
This will also give me some insperation for some writing

[azcatfan]

Riding for me is very Zen, even commute riding.  Being so singularly focussed on riding safety, paying attention to turns, listening to the bike...

Riding puts thoughts of everything else but riding out of my mind.  When I'm not using my bike for a commute, I am still wound up and cranky after work because driving home in a cage allows my mind to keep working over everything that was a PITA that day.

My .02 

[heloego]

+1, bro!
Can't think of anything more calming than clearing the cobwebs after a shyte work week.

Even on a bad day just knowing I can get out occasionally brings a bit of snap back into the step. 

[barenekd]

My exwife thought I should go through life without riding. Let's just say the bikes outlasted her. I'm sure nothing in my life would have ended up the same without motorcycles. My life has pretty much revolved around them, definitely for pleasure and, at times, even my livelyhood. Probably one of these days someone is going to have to pry my cold dead hands off the handlebars!
Bare

[High On Octane]

Let's see.  Things that a motorcycle has improved in my life........

Stress relief, adrenaline rush, relaxation, killing boredom, saves on gas, gets the chicks, makes you happy, makes you sad (when it breaks), a love hate relationship, introduces you to new friends, takes you places a car can't and won't go.  It's a love affair. 

Scottie J

[gizzo]

There's always a good  motivation to go on the smallest of errands, it makes me look forward to the trip to work (sometimes), lets me spend a lot of time with my friends without actually having to talk to them (I mean it in the nicest possible way: I really like the company but I just can't chatter box like some of them) same reason I love paragliding, sharing a common interest with my wife (and kids), and bikes just make my life more Interesting than my non riding friends and familys seem to be. I'm sure they would differ on that one though.

[mattsz]

What has riding changed in my life?

• I get up early for work, and when I drive my car, I usually arrive tired and listless.  When I ride, I arrive feeling awake and energized!  It's hard, however, on the nicest of days, not to just ride on by and keep going!
• My wife worries about me a lot more than she used to.
• I spend too much time on this forum.

[barenekd]

My wife worries about me, too. She blames me for her gray hair.
I just tell her don't worry about me, I don't!
Bare

[hogdad]

Motorcycles are warm fuzzies for me.

In 1965 from the moment my cousin asked if I would like to drive his new 1965 BSA in the high school parking lot, and I felt my arms straighten from thrust, I knew I needed one.

49 years and several bikes later, I'm still at it and still enjoying the ride.

Barry

[bob bezin]

a big + 1 to just about everything everyone said. about 1944 or 45 , i got a ride on my folks indian  that was when i was about 2. yes i still remember that.in 1955 i got my first scooter a meade cycle and have been in love with and  on 2 wheels  ever since.

[olhogrider]

You guys are all so eloquent! I started riding at age 12. I can't imagine not riding. There was a brief period in my teens when I figured out that fathers of teen girls don't let them go out on bikes. That was a reason to drive a car. I did get a promotion at work one time by letting the boss take my Electra-Glide for a ride. Does that count?

[barenekd]

One of my first rides on a motorcycle was when I was about 15. I was at the fair and they had one of those vertical "Tower of Death" tubes the show guys would ride up the sides in. They asked if anybody wanted to ride and I guess I was the first to put my hand up. they were riding flathead Indians. I jumped on the back and the rider took off and climbed up the sides. he went right to the top for a few laps then started "S" turning up and down the sides. I was loving it. When he landed and I tried to get off, I was so dizzy I could barely stand up. Man, what a great ride! I guess I had ridden with my grandad earlier in life when He was a motorcycle cop, but none of the early stuff stands out like that "Tower of Death." Then late I got a ride on the back of a Matchless around a scrambles track, jumps and all. I know what I wanted to do, but my parents weren't exactly hot about the idea, but they finally capitulated, and I got to go racing.  I had a job at the airport as a line boy. The local scrambles rack was about a half mile away, so I spent every lunch hour down at the track learning how to do this stuff, falling off included. My boss would be pissed when I came back to work covered with dirt on his company coveralls. Great times!
Bare

[olhogrider]

One of my first rides on a motorcycle was when I was about 15. I was at the fair and they had one of those vertical "Tower of Death" tubes the show guys would ride up the sides in. They asked if anybody wanted to ride and I guess I was the first to put my hand up. they were riding flathead Indians. I jumped on the back and the rider took off and climbed up the sides. he went right to the top for a few laps then started "S" turning up and down the sides. I was loving it. When he landed and I tried to get off, I was so dizzy I could barely stand up. Man, what a great ride! I guess I had ridden with my grandad earlier in life when He was a motorcycle cop, but none of the early stuff stands out like that "Tower of Death." Then late I got a ride on the back of a Matchless around a scrambles track, jumps and all. I know what I wanted to do, but my parents weren't exactly hot about the idea, but they finally capitulated, and I got to go racing.  I had a job at the airport as a line boy. The local scrambles rack was about a half mile away, so I spent every lunch hour down at the track learning how to do this stuff, falling off included. My boss would be pissed when I came back to work covered with dirt on his company coveralls. Great times!
Bare

Line Boy! That brings back memories. Mostly good. Do they still call them that? It sounds so politically incorrect.

[High On Octane]

Great story bare!   

[hogdad]

Line Boy! That brings back memories. Mostly good. Do they still call them that? It sounds so politically incorrect.

I retired in 2011 after 28 years of Cessna aircraft sales, and the "Line Crew" was pretty much known as "line boys".  On occasion, a female would be hired and known as a "line girl". They seemed to be OK with that. The only thing required of either sex was to perform your line duties.

Some employees take issue with that today. Not what sex they are, but that they are required to perform their duties. Just sayin'.

[ERC]

My story is still writing itself but I'm interested in hearing how riding has changed or altered your lives, outlooks or whatever!
This will also give me some insperation for some writing

Nothing has changed except I'm a lot older.  ERC