Motorcycling invokes a lot of senses that are almost never engaged during other forms of transportation.
So when you ask, "What does it feel like?" you have to take this into consideration.
I will try and explain a few of the sensations to give you an idea. But for starters, consider that for other forms of transportation, you wouldn't normally describe things like temperature, or smell, or lean angle, which are all components of the experience of motorcycling.
Smell: When you motorcycle, you notice smells in a way that you don't when you travel by car, or even by bicycle. Part of this is because you are traveling at a rate of speed faster than a bicycle, so the smells change more frequently. These smells greatly impact the experience, and help to form lasting memories in a way that are very unique.
For example, I can still remember a particular ride on the Highway 1 along California coast, and the road dips close to the water running above and I can still remember the earthy smell of the ocean. The ride was over 20 years ago. I think, because motorcycling is very involving and one is very focused, the senses are heightened, which leads to stronger memories, along with the fact that you have a large volume of air rushing by, so there are more molecules for your nose to pick up. Taste is similarly enhanced, but it's the smell that really rocks your world.
Temperature: For the same reasons described above, you notice the temperature change in ways that are very unique.
Sometimes you will notice that you are close to a river or other body of water before you even see it, because you feel the temperature drop.
In fact, whenever your ride by a body of water that is somewhat close to the road, you will always feel it.
You just don't notice it on a bicycle because it happens slowly, and in a car there is too much insulation.
Speed/Acceleration: Motorcycles, especially sportbikes accelerate like very few cars do. The sensation of speed is often greater in a fast car because you feel the back of the seat accelerating your body. But whereas a fast car might do 0-60 mph in 5 seconds, a motorcycle will do the same sprint in 3 seconds.
So it's much, much faster on a motorcycle. Indeed, most sportbike can reach 100 mph in a little over 5 seconds. The acceleration is so fast that it's almost overwhelming.
Now, in terms of speed, when you ride a motorcycle you experience velocity in a significant way - that is the phenomenon by which your body and reflexes adapt to high rates of speed, which then seem slower after extended periods of time. So you can go very fast on a motorcycle, and you quickly adapt as the speed seems to "slow down" despite your velocity remaining high.
At high rates of speed your body has adapted its perception to where you feel "everything" that is going on with you and the bike.
For example, some have ridden motorcycles on racetracks up to 175 mph, and they can still remember going into Turn 1 at most Raceways, braking at the braking marker, and feeling the rear of the motorcycle start to come up because of the braking forces, and then cognitively thinking, "I need to slide my butt slightly backwards to settle the rear end before I tip into the corner...". All of this happens in fractions of a second, but your body has adapted to the speed so it seems like it's in slow motion.
Lean Angle: Unlike 4-wheeled vehicles, riding a motorcycle requires you to manage traction, and lean angles and acceleration and braking forces all at once. So it's significantly more involving than driving a car. A simple example is that in a car if you stop, you touch the brake.
On a motorcycle, you will crash if you don't brake and also retain balance (the motorcycle will tip over without ride input when stopped).
So there's simply a lot more going on. But to add to the thrill, motorcycles can lean so far over it almost seems impossible.
Tire adhesion is so great these days, that all modern motorcycles can be leaned to the point of dragging hard parts on the ground. Indeed, unless you are being particularly reckless, most motorcycles will not run out of traction because they are leaned too far (there are caveats here). So you can lean over in turns, which adds a huge amount of fun to the experience.
There is really nothing like it.
The closest thing I might equate it to is a very smooth, modern day high speed roller coaster, but even that is not that close to capturing the motorcycling experience.
There really isn't anything like it. It is just pure "Pleasure"!
With all this thought and description I feel I need to go to my pleasure room now... (To The Garage To Look A Those Beautiful Machines).🤣
Hope ya'll have a pleasant day...
Nana