Miles of perspective

By Mike Kemp

My wife has told me I’m a better person when I go for a ride. Mostly because of my demeanor when I return. Something happens when you’re out for a ride. All of the worries that you carried onto the bike seem to be carried off by the wind by the time you get back. Or, at the very least, they seem to weigh a lot less.

And now, thanks to a study supported by Harley-Davidson, there is data to back up what riders have suspected all along.

In a 2021 study conducted by UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, scientists used mobile EEG technology to study the mental and physical effects of riding. The research found that within the first 20 minutes of riding, positive effects on a person’s well-being start kicking in.

Within that 20 minutes, a rider’s heart rate increases by 11%, researchers also found a decrease in a hormone ratio associated with stress. This is equivalent to a light exercise. The study also found that sensory focus was sharpened compared to driving a car, while the changes in a rider’s brain patterns suggested that the heightened alertness was similar to what one achieves by drinking a cup of coffee.

Additionally, the study noted that the hormonal biomarkers for stress (most notably cortisol) dropped 28%. So, an afternoon riding results in being more aware, less stressed and physically connected.

For regular riders, it’s really no surprise. The coordination required to keep a motorcycle upright while leaned over in a curve, in addition to coordinating braking, shifting and turning, leaves little room for idle thoughts. The result is getting into what some describe as a “flow state,” where the rider feels completely connected to the machine as well as the larger environment.

My time on Arkansas Highway 27 has resulted in that. This particular stretch of road is twisting, with numerous curves and elevation changes thrown at you in rapid succession.

When everything is done correctly, it all seems to effortlessly flow together, as if nothing else exists outside of that moment.

This is the cornerstone of this research. The mental demands of riding a motorcycle leave little room for outside thoughts. Riding becomes a form of meditation; worries that you carried onto the motorcycle can’t be dwelt on mid-corner. Your focus is that moment and the one immediately following.

I can remember particular rides where I was stressed or anxious, to the point that my wife suggested that I go for a ride. I come back better, after all. Within a few miles, I could feel the weight leave my shoulders and my breathing become more relaxed.

It really does work.

Riding not only has mental benefits, but also requires physical work to correctly control the motorcycle. Core muscles are engaged to keep you in place under braking; leaning into a corner requires engaging leg muscles to properly position the bike. This results in an active, full-body experience that you can’t get from piloting your SUV.

Not being enclosed in a vehicle also leads to a connectedness with your surroundings. I have felt the temperature cool dramatically while dipping below the levee on Arkansas Highway 300 alongside Harris Brake Lake or instantly warm up after popping out of a grove of trees onto an unshaded stretch of road. I’ve enjoyed the changing smells of my surroundings from freshly plowed earth to a pizza parlor on my way home. Well, except for that time I was stuck behind a truck hauling manure.

Even then, the smells and temperature swings result in a connectedness you could never get in a car. A rider feels the temperature change as they ride up a mountain. The smells from the surrounding countryside add a layer to the experience. It’s my favorite form of meditation. Of course, I really didn’t need a scientific study to draw this conclusion. I always feel better once I’ve ridden, and if my wife notices it, it must be working.

As Neil Peart, the late drummer for the rock band Rush and an avid motorcyclist, said in an interview with Cycle World magazine: “When I’m riding my motorcycle, I’m glad to be alive. When I stop riding my motorcycle, I’m glad to be alive.”