few people are trading in their older vehicles for newer models or swapping out their coupes for minivans, there’s also another trend developing. More people than ever are bringing motorcycles into their lives. Some are even turning their backs on passenger vehicles and making motorcycles their primary, if not only, mode of transportation.
If you’re among the masses who are considering purchasing a motorcycle or, at the very least, placing your car, truck, van, or SUV on the back burner, you may be wondering if that’s really the best idea. Maybe you’re not sure if the biker lifestyle is really for you. CleanHarleys.com is here to help you decide. Take a look at the following ten signs that the bike and the open road are most likely your calling.
1) Most of Your Conversations Are About Motorcycles
One surefire sign that you belong amidst the biker lifestyle is that you find yourself talking about motorcycles on a regular basis. Some of your conversations may revolve entirely around your bike, those that belong to friends and relatives, or even random ones you happen to see while you’re out and about. Other conversations may start out on completely different notes but ultimately veer back toward the subject of motorcycles. Human nature is to talk about the things we love. If you constantly talk about motorcycles, give in to the urge and come to the bike side.
2) You Look for Reasons to Ride
It’s not uncommon for motorcycle owners to plan rides whether they’re short excursions through winding mountain roads or cross-country trips via the scenic route. They may even take off on spur-of-the-moment outings. That being said, those who are made for the biker lifestyle tend to look for reasons to ride. You might even say they make excuses to ride. If you find yourself dreaming up reasons to jump on the bike and go, the biker life is definitely calling you.
3) You Love Your Bike As Much As You Love Your Significant Other
Most people on the outside would never admit that they love a vehicle almost as much as their significant others if not more so. In many cases, though, bikers aren’t quite so hesitant to make it known. At the same time, their spouses are aware of the situation, and they understand and accept it. Some of them even agree that they love the bike that much as well. If your heart swells as much at the sound of your bike as it does at the sound of your partner’s voice, don’t fight it any longer: heed the call of the biker lifestyle.
4) You Can’t Stop Thinking About the Bike
This is one of the simplest and most obvious indications that you’re a biker at heart. What’s the first thing you think about when you wake up in the mornings? What’s the last thing you think about when you’re falling asleep at night? What seems to routinely make its way into your thoughts while you’re working, watching television, eating lunch, or doing yard work? If the answer to these questions is, more often than not, riding your motorcycle, you’ve got the fever.
5) You Know Motorcycles Inside and Out
Can you list most of the major motorcycle manufacturers without even having to think about it? Do you know almost all the components that go into a motorcycle and make it work the way it does? Maybe you even find yourself mentally diagnosing issues with other people’s bikes based on their sounds alone when you hear them pass by. If any of those elements is even remotely true for you, the biker lifestyle is speaking to you.
6) Weather Doesn’t Stop You From Riding
Some motorcycle enthusiasts only ride on warm, sunny days and clear, balmy summer nights. Others take a much broader approach to the matter. They’re well aware that rain feels like thousands of tiny bullets slamming into your skin when riding during a storm. They know what it feels like to be so completely frozen that they have to pry their fingers off the handlebars when a ride is over. Still, they don’t let the weather stop them. No matter how cold, windy, or wet it may be outside, they climb on the bike and forge ahead. If you fall into the latter category, you’re made for the biker lifestyle.
7) Being Inside a Regular Vehicle Makes You Claustrophobic
Few people actually enjoy being closed up inside a vehicle for hours on end. Being stuck in traffic at a dead standstill can certainly make the situation even worse. That being said, some people are more affected by the confines of a passenger vehicle than others. Though being trapped inside a vehicle surrounded by glass, metal, upholstery, and electronics may not lead to full-fledged claustrophobia for you, it may very well make you feel uneasy, restless, and overly agitated. If so, the biker lifestyle beckons.
8) The Bike Is Your Epitome of Freedom
When you hear the word “freedom”, what image comes to mind? If it’s speeding along an open road with the sun on your shoulders and the wind in your face, you’ve already transitioned to biker life. Let it happen and enjoy the ride.
9) You Understand Why Dogs Ride with Their Heads out the Car Window
Plenty of people question why dogs typically stick their heads out the window when they go for rides with their humans. For you, though, the answer may be obvious. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of exhilaration and liberation you get from sheer speed and the wind against your face with nothing standing between you and all the sights, sounds, and smells around you. It’s the ultimate experience.
10) You Want to Be Part of Something Bigger
Though family, friends, and careers are certainly important and make life worth living, many people want to be part of something bigger than their own lives. Few actually find that grand element they’re looking for. Those who truly live the biker lifestyle, though, are part of a vast brotherhood of fellow bikers.
It’s a world in which people you’ve never met before are ready and willing to stop and help when you’re broken down on the side of the road. If you’re having unexpected difficulties in a restaurant, store, or parking lot, they’ll come to your aid without hesitation. They’ll make you feel like family or a long-time friend even if they barely know you. Why wouldn’t you listen and take heed if that type of lifestyle is calling to you?
Answer the Call and You’ll Never Look Back
Millions of people own motorcycles at this point, and millions more are expected to join the crowd during the years to come. Of course, simply owning a motorcycle doesn’t make a person a biker. It’s not just about owning a bike; it’s an entire lifestyle. If any of the signs we’ve mentioned here strike a chord with you, that lifestyle is calling to you. Don’t hesitate to answer its call. You won’t regret it.
