Ever heard of Neal Peart?

[iYRe]

Some of you might.. some might have heard of the band he is in, RUSH (one of the greatest.. and he is often regarded as one of the best if not THE best rock drummer).

Neal's daughter died in a car accident, a year later, his wife died of cancer (he says she died of a broken heart). Neal rode bicycles and motorbikes all around places where he gigged... After these tragedies, he didnt know what to do, other than he knew he needed to keep moving, so he rode his R1100 up to the arctic circle then down to Mexico...

At one point, he is tormented by the weather (its the arctic.. doh) and his misery, and he writes this.. it struck me as particularly apt, because we all have something we need to escape from, even if it isnt something that tragic. I thought I would share it, because I know at least the harley riders out there cant read books:

"What ever torment the night had brought; what ever weather the new day threw at me, when i loaded up the bike and swung my leg over the saddle, my whole perspective changed. Focus tightened into mechanics and the mentality of operating the machine, and awareness contracted to that demanding paradigm. As I let in the clutch and turned the throttle, my world view expanded as I moved into a whole new paradigm of landscapes, highways, and wildlife. Infinite possibilities." - Neal Peart "Ghost Rider; Travels on the healing road"

I feel like that every time I hop on my bike, even if it is to commute (and the same when I ride my bicycle.. fwiw)

[Old Steve]

Yeah, getting on the motorbike seems to move you to another parallel universe, same surroundings but your view and reaction to them is different.

Suddenly, instead of staring blankly through the windscreen of a car, you're watching so many different things, the driver's eyes in that car, the road surface, the load on the back of the truck ahead, that clear lane to your right as an escape if .... , the child walking with it's mother on the foot path, your ears are picking up the sounds from the engine, the gearbox, the tyres on the road, you're smelling the woodsmoke from the first of the evenings household filreplaces being lit or the cows in the roadside paddock. Can't concentrate on that argument, what's overdue at work, bills I've got to pay.

Maybe it's not a parallel universe, but I have a different focus once I'm on my bike,

[iYRe]

yep, looking at road surfaces, looking at entry and exit points on corners, looking for places that you might see something or someone in a dangerous spot etc... its a whole different thing.

[Maha]

It is very true, no matter how often or how little you ride, the world...your world goes on hold when you do. All of your senses are heightened, perhaps not so much your taste unless you ride with an open faced lid. It's a magical thing to be riding at dusk through rural areas, the bug splatter and the left over smell of the hay bailing that happened that day, riding through smoke drift the slight smell of stock feed out.

[iYRe]

oh, and the smell of silage :P

[Gremlin]

Best moments I have had have been at night, clear sky, bright moon. You want to turn off the headlights just to enjoy it, and there is so much light it's not like you need them.

Best was doing the Coromandel... climbing up hills, moon, road, bike, me.

Longest period I haven't owned a bike (since owning one obviously), 3 weeks. 3 long, empty weeks

[old slider]

Not sure about Harley riders not reading, but I did have to look up paradigm.

I agree, it matters not the breed, I get a huge grin every time I get my leg over, riding the bikes the same.

[iYRe]

Best moments I have had have been at night, clear sky, bright moon. You want to turn off the headlights just to enjoy it, and there is so much light it's not like you need them.

Best was doing the Coromandel... climbing up hills, moon, road, bike, me.

Longest period I haven't owned a bike (since owning one obviously), 3 weeks. 3 long, empty weeks

I had to go a week without mine while it was being fixed.. that was bad enough.

[RGVforme]

Best moments I have had have been at night, clear sky, bright moon. You want to turn off the headlights just to enjoy it, and there is so much light it's not like you need them.

Best was doing the Coromandel... climbing up hills, moon, road, bike, me.

Longest period I haven't owned a bike (since owning one obviously), 3 weeks. 3 long, empty weeks

This x10

First thing I did to my DR when got back into road riding was wire in a 'Covert' On/off light switch for this very reason....Country roads beaches ect.
Back when young and stupid(now im just old and stupid) used to take turns 'Bonnet surfing' on a mates car full moon straight road lights off.