Neither ‘Right’ Nor ‘Wrong’…

A Bit More Subjective, Mr. Subjective

Three reasons I like this photo:

1. It’s a 7mp file. Lots of detail.
2. It shows a rider purposefully striding toward his less-expensive simple bike (the Moto Guzzi) wearing rather expensive gear, right next to a more-expensive complicated bike (the Honda Gold Wing) with a cheaper piece of gear draped over its windshield. (The Guzzi is about $5-6k, the Wing around $22k, and one features great technology to separate you from the air and environment around you, and the other has very little of this kind of technology. Neither approach is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ and you are reading this, you probably already know where I personally come down. The Guzzi belongs to the tall fellow demonstrating the purposeful-looking stride.)
3. It’s a banner shot, so it would fit well across the top of a blog post or email offer.

There are as many ways to enjoy motorcycling as there are riders. Motorcycling works on us in ways that cut so deeply into our neurology, our psychology and our ‘souls’ that it’s truly a universal activity, experience and technology. If you ride a motorcycle – any motorcycle – down a quiet suburban street anywhere in the world, and there happens to be a three-year-old child on an adjacent sidewalk, lawn or piece of plain ‘ol dirt when you pass, that child’s eyes will follow you, and his face will break into a grin. He or she ‘gets it’ in a way at that age they don’t get cars. Any cars. Exactly this same thing will happen alongside a remote dirt two track anywhere in the most impoverished parts of our planet.

Motorcycles are not only fun to ride and take care of and look at, but they are also good for us internally. In relative terms they also are good for our planet. And not just some motorcycles. EVERY motorcycle. And that little kid standing or sitting by the roadside? Maybe 98% of them will break into that same cute smile and will watch you as you pass by. I’m not sure if this focused awareness starts at age two, three, four or five, but it’s as close to a universal as you can get when it comes to the enormous diversity of people on this planet.

Note: There is an age-window involved. When you are too young, you don’t automatically do this, and as you age, fewer and fewer people continue to do this. But some people do it all their lives. That would be me, and you, if you are reading this. It’s the same for the rider of that fancy Gold Wing as it is for the rider of that newer ‘old-school’ Guzzi when they each were small, and still new in the world. 

Some riders extend a hand as they approach an oncoming rider, and some don’t. Some ride loud, some ride quiet. Some ride in fancy high priced gear, and some don’t spend any money on special gear. Some ride fast and some ride slow. Some are old and some are young. By now, you are getting the idea. None of that stuff matters. Riding is, simply stated, one of the most primal activities existing. Riding motorcycles is good for all of us. Not everyone gets this, though, which is, uh…ok, too. 

It sure would be nice if a few more responsible grown-up people did understand, though. At least those good people in authority who lead most of us: All the religious, philosophic, scientific, academic, intellectual and political leaders who help move us forward more-or-less together.  For clarity, “all of us” means not only people, but all the plants and animals we share this local part of the universe with. It would be cool if motorcycling were not only tolerated by the non-riding majority but was actively endorsed and encouraged for the relative benefits to everyone that nearly all forms of riding provide. Those benefits should be recognized because riding is not only good for active riders, but also is a relative good for everyone else, too, at least when compared to other forms of auto-mobility. Riding is better for you and the planet than the best Tesla or the nicest Prius. But please don’t beat me up too much about this. My wife and I own, maintain, and enjoy a couple of cars and we appreciate many other kinds of machines, all of which are all pretty good overall, and plenty useful. But at the end of the day, for simply getting from A to B with a moderate load, nothing beats even the crappiest motorcycle. For me…and for every other living thing on our shared planet.

One of the best lessons the 43 years of Aerostich has taught me is how universally good the experience of riding motorcycles, bicycles, and scooters is. We have customers on choppers, scooters, minibikes, luxe touring bikes, antique bikes, and crotch rockets. You name it, someone who rides it has Aerostich gear. The one common denominator seems to be how much one rides, or how important a part of one’s life riding might be. Those who most value the qualities of Aerostich gear – the functionality, utility, protection, and comfort – are the riders who either ride a lot or who put riding near the center of their lives, and this delta intersects with those who also have the money to be able to afford to invest in expensive, long-lasting gear. But A) you don’t need any gear to have a deep relationship with riding, and B) I know ‘kids’ with practically no money who wear well-used Aerostich gear purchased on eBay when they ride their low-cost Chinese copies of Honda Groms or their ancient rusty broken-sounding found-in-a-barn zero-cost 1969 Honda CL 350.

What I’m trying to convey here is simply this: Motorcycling is good for you, good for society, and good, period. And though lots of people do not get this, it’s still as good. Doesn’t matter why, or how. Motorcycles are simply a very good kind of thing. You and I are lucky to have them in our lives regardless of specifics related to model, make, or type. We are the fortunate ones, simply because we get to have the ordinary experiences of riding and taking care of and looking at motorcycles. 

A few people have once been riders but are no longer able to, for health or age reasons. I’m not overly sad thinking about what they’ve lost. Because like that small child on the side of the street whose sparkling young eyes follow as a motorcycle rolls past, and whose mouth always turns into a delighted smile, they still get it, and they still watch and still smile. Their eyes still sparkle, and they remember, too. Which brings this blog post to a close. If you’ve read this far, and there happens to be a motorcycle somewhere in your vicinity, go out and touch one of its handgrips and say a silent blessing to it. Be thankful. Be kind. And be useful. And maybe also go for a ride.

- Mr. Subjective, July 2025

PS – The Hi-Vis Darien-clad fellow in the photo at the top of this post is a long-time moto-journalist Maynard Hershon, who shared this image with me a few days ago. He and his wife Tamar live in a high-rise apartment or condo in Denver. I’ve never been there, but I’ve met Maynard in person a couple of times. Once, a long time ago, a riders group called the Four Stroke Singles National Owners Club (FSSNOC) held one of their rallies somewhere in North Dakota and the planets aligned for me on that date (distance, schedule, weather, finances, motorcycle…) so I rode out there and low-and-behold, there was Maynard along with maybe fifty other riders of all ages, riding one cylinder bikes of all makes, models and styles. Some, like Maynard, even in Aerostich gear. The club still exists, and you can find it here, and you won’t meet a nicer bunch of wonderfully quirky riders. In 40+ years, I’ve been to two or three of their events. Had a nice time, every time. And, uh…there is an Aerostich connection. The first or maybe second FSSNOC event I attended was riding with a couple of mildly hooligan-y friends who’d never been to one of this club’s gatherings. We found the club members sitting around a small motel or camping area (I no longer remember which), drinking both beer and soft drinks and quietly sharing stories about their lives with various single-cylinder bikes. They kept doing this for the next two days. It was the most calm and laid-back motorcycle event I think I’d ever experienced. At some point on the ride back to Minnesota, the three of us were talking over our rally experience and the friend named Alyan exclaimed with strong emphasis: “That was the most BORING RALLY I’ve ever been to!!!”, which is how our every-5-year Aerostich anniversary event came to be called ‘The Very Boring Rally’. If you’ve never been to a Very Boring Rally and are curious, here’s the VBR’s website. And, if you’ve ever come, thanks for coming! And lastly, Maynard’s writing is most often found in the UK’s Motorcycle Sport and Leisure magazine where he has written a monthly column about motorcycle-life in the ‘colonies’ for decades.