Why Motorcyclists Can't Afford to Just Sit Back and Enjoy the Ride

Many different things draw people to motorcycling. For some, it’s the sense of freedom. For others, it’s a source of relaxation, even exhilaration. If you’re like me, it’s to some degree all of the above. That said, it’s the ride we crave regardless of what each of us gets from it.

- Matt Danielson

This time of year, roads are packed with motorcyclists sitting back (or forward) and just enjoying the ride. Which begs the question: can we, as avid motorcyclists, afford to do that?

I have the privilege of being able to attend motorcycle rights conferences around the country. It has allowed me to take some fantastic rides in some of the prettiest parts of this nation. I remember attending one conference a few years ago put on by the Motorcycle Rider’s Foundation (MRF), in Frisco, Colorado. If you’ve been to Colorado, you know it’s some of the prettiest riding country you’ll ever encounter. Yet on a gorgeous Saturday in June, I found myself not on my bike riding the Rockies, but in a room with motorcyclists from around the country discussing issues riders face all around the United States.

Some of the issues being addressed by the participants included working to:

Prevent motorcyclists from being excluded from public parking lots, roads and parking garages

Eliminate roadside checkpoints aimed only at motorcyclists

Address the ever-growing problem of distracted driving