What bikers can teach car guys?

Hello, thank you for coming!

I want to share with you a kind of epiphany I recently had a few weeks ago. I’ve just started seeing motorbikes with other eyes. I’ve always been a car guy since I had use of memory, or probably way before, we’ll never know. But I found our biker people have much stuff to teach us; motorcyclists can offer a surprising amount of wisdom to those who love four wheels, with some interesting lessons from the biking world that can elevate any car enthusiast’s appreciation for driving, mechanics, and the open road.

The 2 most important advantages they have above are related to bike body diversity and fostering community in a more accessible way, which are two values that can elevate any passion that every car fan can learn from the motorcycle world. This is probably not the first time this topic will be treated, and I admit it could be biased. I’m not a journalist and don’t have any white-collar boss who forces me to talk well about certain influential people and dismiss cruel realities for the shareholder’s sake. This is just a humble point of view about my recent interest in motorbikes, and what they can teach us as car people, here are the perks I consider will be worth sharing.

The Art of Precision Handling and Technique

It’s more than obvious that bikes and cars have very different dynamics, while cars have multiplied inertia and bigger weight transfers, bikes also deal with those forces on a minor scale but gain hyperspeed as a result. On the other hand, bikes require way more physical strength and body awareness, because they are merciless when it comes to mistakes.

Motorcyclists know that their lives often depend on their ability to master handling. They instinctively understand how to lean into curves at the right inclination, or the twisties as many call them maintain balance, deal with 2 brakes that are one independent from the other and manage throttle control with finesse because of the radically different throttle brake ratios than cars. Contrary to current car culture, where driving well is not that kind of relevant anymore, bikers tend to prioritise a better skillset, not just to party trick, but a way to arrive home safely.

Bikes are the epitome of the Diversity of Machines

The motorcycle world is a testament to diversity. From café racers to cruisers, from sport to enduros, from scooters to mopeds, from Harleys to Honda, every type is celebrated for its unique purpose and style, having a wonderful diversity of types to choose from in the market. each type has its own style and culture, yet the community thrives on celebrating these differences.

This rich tapestry contrasts with the car world, where certain types of car bodies are just becoming a thing of the past, such as the shooting brakes, the sport coupes, the roadsters, and sports saloons. Only some hot hatches, the Miatas and 86s, a few saloons and ultra hyper mega expensive hypercars are resisting the SUV pandemic. I have nothing against SUVs but it’s fastidious where manufacturers only present one choice. May car gods save us from only having Chinese copycat electric SUVs as the only option to buy new in a few years, never expect a single gram of personality when it comes to the CCP.

Bikers show us the joy of variety. Car culture can benefit by appreciating all forms of automotive design that were signs of identity by each owner, especially those that challenge norms and bring creativity back to the streets. I seriously hope that car design learns from this interesting concept from the bike world instead of gagging the myth that boring design “saves the planet” I resist believing that eco-cars should be boring as well, even if they can bring back interesting concepts like the city cars and MPVs.

I’m sure Car guys respect diversity in certain ways, from JDM to Muscle cars, passing through euro tuners and don’t forget the van guys. These communities seem like the Balkans, super close but with extreme differences, bringing a volatile mix of tastes that sometimes are quite tough to negotiate; increasing diversity and all respect strengthens the community by encouraging collaboration, new ideas, and bigger community cohesion, which is the following point I’m jealous of the biker community.

Bikers, the cusp of brotherhood

This is probably the biggest advantage bikers have over car guys, I don’t know how they got there, but I envy the community they’ve just built. Motorcyclists often share a deep camaraderie, nodding to each other on the road or gathering in groups to share their passion. but well, car people do the same, but let’s admit, Car people can’t paralyse a city in the same way bikers do. And why is that?

Well, this is not that easy to answer. Bikes don’t have the same status looking than cars where people buy them only for the flashy pose, on the other hand, normal people don’t trash themselves between Ducatis and MV Agustas in the same way as Ferraris and Lambos, which tend to be owned by non-car people the biggest part of time. SOmetimes it’s better not to have deadly pressure on our shoulders trying to be people pleasers from time to time.

Another big key difference between 2 and 4-wheel addicts is the simple fact bikers can taste death more closely than car people. New advances in security have unfortunately glorified bad driving as well, which is deadly in bikes, as the old saying says, machines don’t forgive, and bikes are even bigger, something wrong and better to see St Peter instead of being quadriplegic. This proves a point; what gives meaning to life is death, and death can eliminate all the differences the best, it’s one of the most common things we have. One day we’ll leave this world behind, even hands that are typing these words will cease moving one day. Car guys can benefit from fostering the same sense of respect and belonging within their community, at least not taking too personally the huge amount of differences between subgroups. Imagine how much richer car culture could be when it centres on the people as much as the machines.

Embrace the Journey, Not Just the Destination

We all know numbers rule, but sometimes it’s OK to not idolise them, they’re a great motivator to keep us in a better way for sure, but it’s the same as sugar and coffee, too much spoils the flavour.

Don’t forget the joy of the ride often outweighs the destination. Every twist and turn is an experience to savour. Taking the scenic route, enjoying a spirited drive on a country road, or even slowing down to appreciate the finer aspects of their vehicle’s performance. From kei cars to heavy trucks, from Euro tuners to JDM rarities. No matter if not too much horsepower, value your ride. Aftermarket is always for you, but please don’t tell your insurance.

This is what puts us together, no matter how many wheels we prefer under us, there’s a shared passion for the craft, the journey, and the bond between machine and human.

The world of motorcycles shows us that a thriving community isn’t just built on shared interests but on mutual respect, openness to diversity, and a genuine desire to connect. By embracing these values, car enthusiasts can strengthen their culture, create deeper bonds, and make the world of cars more inclusive and vibrant.

What’s your favourite example of community in the automotive or motorcycle world? What lessons have you learned from bikers? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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