It may sound cliché among those who have been riding motorcycles for years. But you have noticed it, I have noticed it and, the reality is that many motorcycle users have been describing quite similar sensations for some time when we go out riding. Disconnect. Think less. Breathe a little. Even returning home with a completely different feeling than the one they had before starting.
But that sensation seems to be much more widespread and are not isolated perceptions. And the British insurer Carole Nash has carried out a study that puts figures on what many motorcycle users have been commenting on for some time as one of the advantages of the motorcycle. According to the study, 88% of motorcyclists consider that riding a motorcycle improves their mental well-being.
This study has been presented coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week in the United Kingdom, taking advantage of the dates to analyze how riding a motorcycle influences feeling better.
Much more than transportation or hobby: the motorcycle influences our mental and emotional state
Going into a little more detail, 37% of the participants stated that riding a motorcycle makes them feel calmer, while 31% explained that it directly helps them clear their minds of worries. Another 20% stated that riding actively reduces their stress levels.
And probably anyone who uses the motorcycle with any frequency understands quite well why that happens. There is an obvious part related to driving and concentrating for pure survival. When you ride a motorcycle you are aware of the environment, the road, the traffic, your body… and that often makes your head stop spinning around other problems for a while.
But another important factor also appears: physical sensation. The air, the temperature, the engine noise, the movement. In the study itself, several users talked about precisely that, about how the motorcycle almost inadvertently forces them to be present in what they are doing.
One of the participants even explained that after a short outing he felt like “a completely different person”, while others compared the motorcycle to a kind of therapy or a way to reset after especially difficult days.
Beyond the individual, the study also focuses on something quite common within the world of motorcycles: the social component. Shared routes, concentrations, groups or simply the ease of connecting with other fans are part of a community that often helps combat the feeling of isolation. That is something that, for some reason that another study will have to cover, is part of the reality of the motorcycle.
Obviously, a motorcycle does not replace professional help when it is really necessary. But it is interesting to see how, even from outside the sector itself, studies are beginning to appear that reflect something that many users have been saying for years without the need for statistics: riding a motorcycle makes us feel better.
