Freddie Mercury once sang “Get on your bikes and RIDE,” and although he never could capture the feeling of riding a motorcycle, he did similar with his voice. This summer, I encourage you, the reader, to do just that. Get on a motorcycle, and ride.

Riding a motorcycle allows the rider to taste freedom. Free to be whoever you are, do whatever you like. Go where few dare to. I have ridden for close to ten years now, and nothing really compares to the feeling. It is the calmest adrenaline rush anyone can feel.

It can forge new friendships and new relationships. Taking a motorcycle through the country allows the rider to become one with their surroundings. Seeing a sunset while riding becomes a mesmerizing experience. Riding through the country puts the mind at ease. The roar of the engine can put a smile on anyone's face.

Your senses improve. You’ll be able to feel and smell nature in a different way. Respect it more. You will be able to feel a temperature difference between riding in the city and riding down a country road, and you will grin every single time.

You will become a better driver because you will start to learn that few people drive rationally. You’ll notice who is texting, who isn’t paying attention to the road, who is aware that you are there, who appreciates your bike, and so on. Anticipating what a driver is going to do can sometimes be what prevents you from crashing. The assumption is that no one really knows you are there, and you have to make sure you don’t wreck. It can sound like hell, but it is an exhilarating feeling.

The thing I enjoy the most, dear reader, is that I have never felt more alive than being inches away from death. Anxiety is always there. In the sense that I know I can lose my life at any moment. Of course, there are always those who have lost their lives on a bike. When I am told “They are death machines, they will kill you,” I have a simple response, “that may be true, but if I die young on a bike, know I died with a smile on my face.”

“Motorcycle riding is a combination of exhilaration, fear, relaxation and pleasure that changes you forever. It’s physical and emotional pleasure, with a layer of anxiety & adrenaline.” -Stefan Von Imhof