Why We Ride

We recently had a wonderful experience that we would like to share with you.  As you can tell, we have always been a big proponents of the community that is the motorcycling family.  For over 30 years, motorcycling has always held a cavernous place in our hearts.  To  us, it has been a means to explore, share, learn and enjoy.  As we’ve ridden, we met new people and made long term friends.

We’ve discovered that motorcycling is more than a “lifestyle”, “brotherhood”,  “fraternity”, “sorority”, or “club”.  To us, motorcycling is all about family.  There are no individual boundaries, barriers or divisions.  Just a large and open family that invites all into its waiting arms with no expectations or requirements other than enjoying travel on two wheels.

While there may be differences between family members as in all families, those differences are transcended by the larger community that is the motorcycling family.  We all have a common bond and we believe that the world is a little better because of it.

While the motorcycle family is quite encompassing as a whole, its role as a builder of family relationships is clear.  Families that ride together stay together.  They develop a bond made stronger by the sharing of the ride.  Kids hanging out at malls, or staring into electronic devices for hours on end is replaced by sun, wind, exercise and most importantly of all, communication between family members.  The very task of riding in itself brings us all together.

“How did the ride go?”  “What’s the track like?”  “Did you work on the bike this weekend?”  “Do you want to go for a ride?”  All these things bring us together and cause us to talk and share.  They constitute a bond that is nearly unbreakable and the more people participate, the stronger the bond.

So what caused me to write about the motorcycle family?   Frankly it was a film that all motorcyclists should see.  It’s called “Why We Ride” and it captures the essence of the motorcycle family.  Even if you or someone you know is not a rider, you should see this film.  You may just end up joining a new family.

Check out their trailer below.  It’s just part of the story.

Why We Ride is an independent film and as such, screenings have been limited.  They try to show the film where they can gain maximum impact; check their website for showings.  It’s well worth a trip to see this film.

Finally, we would be extremely remiss not to mention our friends Charles Sandoz and Jim Smith of Seacoast Sport Cycle in Derry, NH  who sponsored the showing, generously permitting about 150 of our motorcycle family to see this film.  Ride2ADV does not accept advertising, but we felt it very important that Charles and Jim get the credit for all they’ve done for our family.

Go see the film.  Take your family and some non-riding friends.  You may find that your family grows even larger, and that’s a good thing.