The need for adventure is a basic human instinct. At some point in humanity’s history we no longer had to worry about keeping the cave fire stoked and fighting off saber tooth tigers, as we migrated on foot across the savanna.
But we were still wired for exploration.
After millena of traveling by horse, yak, and camel, we were bound to come up with something that was as fun as it was practical for transportation.
Enters side stage The Motorcycle — that brilliant and beautiful feat of human innovation. The thing that fascinates me the most about these early motorcycle - travelers is how raw their adventures were. They had no proverbial safety nets to speak of.
In the first quarter of the century, outside of the cities, roads were rudimentary at best and often nonexistent. You purchased your gas from the chemist's workshop. There was no Garmin or Alstate Maps to plot your course.
There were no online forums to consult or Expos to attend to get the inside scoop on what might be in store for you.
You just packed a simple kit and hit the road with your wool jacket, handgun, tools, and maybe the occasional 50-pound typewriter.
There were no knobby tires, overnight parts delivery from Revzilla, or waterproof suits. Your mom was definitely not driving the motorhome to pick you up. There is nothing contrived about these early journeys; you simply pull out of the driveway, pick a direction, and let the adventure unfold.
Nowadays our world is so developed, regulated, and safe.
We have handrails around everything and safety precautions to no end.
How then are we to have a proper adventure, an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity?
Unlike the early motocycle-explorers we have to put in a different sort of effort to create our adventures. Now we have to push our creativity in order to push our comfort zones.
Our world is so different compared to when early riders and their Redwing Panther with a sidecar and trailer.
We have such a secure infrastructure, even in the wildest places, compared to what they encountered. “Motorcycling is a tool with which you can accomplish something meaningful in your life,” said by many before me. “It is an art.” The spirit of our adventures are the same now as they ever were.
It starts with a question, a curiosity, an inquiry into the boundaries of our limits. We just want to see if we can. I believe that it is our responsibility to live fully and, with that, comes the need for adventure.
To be clear, high-speed lane splitting during rush hour in Los Angeles or any city certainly may feel like an adventure.
But that is pure adrenaline which is not my goal.
The sort of adventure I’m referring to is adrenaline-producing, but in a way that also involves curiosity, ambition, and stretching yourself culturally, physically, and emotionally. Adventures do not require one-way plane tickets to the other side of the globe, they do not require weeks or years, gobs of money, or high-tech adventure bikes. Adventure is a state of mind and for some the motorcycle, whatever make and model it may be, is the vehicle.
You already have everything you need. Whether on your Ultra Glide or your Trail 90, you simply need to set your sights on something that captures your imagination, pull out of the driveway, and let the adventure unfold.
With that said...
Today "Diana's Fantastic Adventure" is beginning!
The Yamaha V-Star Tourer & the GL 1500 Goldwing Trike are washed, polished and either one are roaring to begin.
I usually have packed them like the proverbial pack mule ready for the journey.
There will be no planner or set agenda. Just by the seat of my pants adventure as I choose.
No time table restrictions, just curiosity and wanderlust.
For those that want to go along with me as I take on this Fantastic Adventure... Then stay tuned to my daily blog and Relive App (On Google Play)
Buckle Up & Hang On For The Ride!
Nana
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