As a result of easy access to (almost) everything you need on the internet, there are more and more people who close themselves in their “cocoon” and interact little with others. The motorcycle community can be a “case study” in the way it promotes real interaction between people.
As the uncle of two teenagers in the age of social media, one of the situations that has given me immense pleasure is when we travel with them by car, and whenever we cross or overtake a motorbike, a scream comes from the back seat, with a request: “Slow down so that we can greet them!”
I slow down, and they immediately put their hands out the window, with the “V” for our greeting. They have ALWAYS reciprocated on their gesture, which makes them and me very happy. The spirit is still what it used to be! A greeting is returned, even from a car.
The seed is there! It’s as if they already have a feeling of belonging to this community, even if they’re not even old enough to own a motorcycle!
Motorcyclists may not even know each other, but on the road, they have the behavior of a friend who, in a difficult situation, will do everything in his power to help the other. Wherever you are or whatever your origin, there is always time for a word or small talk or sharing experiences.
There are several examples that I keep from the journeys I took. Once, on a trip through Germany, we had “less pleasant” weather conditions, and at a stop in a service area (already very wet) we met a group of 4 motorcyclists, 2 Germans and 2 Austrians. They looked at us and asked: “What the hell are you doing here in this weather? We just came back from your country, because that’s where the sun is”!
Between some laughter, I replied: “We were always curious to know why so many of you go there so often, and we came to understand why”. We all laughed casually, and after a hot coffee, we headed off in our different directions.
It’s the pleasant feeling of never being alone, even in lands that are strange to us.
Even in an era of virtual relationships, the human side of the motorcyclist still prevails, making us true Solid(t)dary Knights!
Enjoy your vacation and your ride
