Two on the road to adventure

Mark Richardson

WHEELS EDITOR

STURGIS, S.D.–My nephew Oliver had never ridden on a motorcycle before getting on the pillion of the big Harley-Davidson last weekend and riding here to South Dakota.

I'd invited him along and he accepted because he's 18 and doesn't know any better. So when he arrived from his home in England, he was kitted out in Harley clothing and, game for anything, set out with me on the road west.

He wanted to know about the appeal of motorcycles, and this would be an intensive course. We were headed to Sturgis, which claims to be the largest motorcycle rally in the world. The state population doubles in the first week of August when the motorbikes arrive.

But to get here, we had to ride 2,600 km through cities and prairie, in rain and baking heat. What's the appeal? Why not take the car?

The ElectraGlide Classic has two saddlebags and a top box. Right away, that keeps our luggage to a minimum – I have one saddlebag, Oliver has the other and we keep rain gear, laptop and camera equipment in the top box.

The light luggage on the bike forces us to plan carefully and carry only the things we really need, giving a greater value to what we bring along.

On our first day out, Oliver was sold. It was in the high 20s and the sun was shining on the dry roads. It was a good introduction to motorcycling as we rode with friends down Hwy. 2 to Windsor.

Which was just as well, since we woke the next morning to rain and a dreary forecast. It's not an issue in a car, but rain changes everything on a bike – more so when you wear an open-face helmet.

But being 18, Oliver shrugged it off as part of the adventure. He was right to do so, too, since the skies soon cleared and the sun came out, strong enough in Chicago to scorch the skin on our noses. We stopped to apply sunscreen and I asked him if he was having a good time. I didn't expect his answer.

"Of course – how could I not?" he said. "I'm really comfortable on this bike."

Oliver's reply made me think back to when I was 18 and riding motorcycles. Rain and wind and heat didn't deter me then because I was optimistic and having a good time.

They don't deter me now, either, but I don't expect others to share my love for motorcycles because as I grow older it seems that cars are just, well, easier. Sun too hot? Put on the A/C. Rain on the way? Switch on the wipers.

Bikes, though, restore that elemental adventure to travelling. When it gets too hot, riders seek shade and a place to rest. When it rains, they seek shelter or just ride on through. And when they get to the other side, they have a feeling of achievement a car can't provide.

"I really feel like I've accomplished something by getting here on the bike," Oliver told me. If he'd been on the bus or in a car, we would never have met the people who stopped to talk to us. It just wouldn't have been an adventure, and true adventures are hard to come by these days.

It's worrisome that Oliver is one of the youngest visitors here to Sturgis. Numbers for the rally are down this year – you'll read my full report next week once I've spent some time here – and part of that reason is that touring motorcyclists are an aging demographic, especially the Harley-riding bikers. Nearly all the bikers here are at least 40 years old, affluent enough to afford the gas and indulge themselves with the machinery.

They're dying off, and people with Oliver's optimism and sense of adventure are not replacing them. Young potential riders don't want to emulate their parents, especially when they see those parents letting their leather skin hang out of too-tight leather jackets and chaps.

That's too bad, because it was a great ride out here. You can read the daily reports and watch the videos on Wheels.ca. And keep checking them – we've still got to make it home.

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