Perhaps one of the most annoying things about motorcycles is that the majority of them are extremely loud. A few years back, I actually lived in a town-home community in which motorcycles were not allowed! In another community that one of my friends lived in, motorcycles were allowed, but they were not allowed to be visible. If you owned a motorcycle or had someone visiting who owned one, you had to cover it up or park it in your garage so that it was out of sight.
So, why do motorcycles have such a bad reputation? I think part of the reason that motorcycles are frowned upon is due to how they have been portrayed over the years. It seems like every motorcycle rider that we've seen in every motorcycle movie has at least one tattoo, smokes and is in trouble with the law (usually for riding their motorcycles too fast!). While this is not entirely true nowadays, it still makes one wonder what would possess a motorcycle enthusiast to want to purchase and/or ride a motorcycle. For most motorcycle enthusiasts, the reasoning behind owning a motorcycle seems to revolve around an inherent "need for speed".
I once asked my little brother (an avid motorcycle rider) what in the world possessed him to want to own a motorcycle and ride one. He told me that he felt "free" when he rode his motorcycle. Also, I think it had something to do with the fact that growing up, my parents were strict. This was simply his way to rebel and do something that he knew the both of them would knowingly disapprove of. But is this the case for other motorcycle riders? I am not sure. What I do know is that motorcycles are not typically supposed to be loud. However, many riders will alter their motorcycle motors so that they make a lot of racket. To the motorcycle rider, this noise is "cool," but to other less enthusiastic participants, this is an annoyance that they wish would go away.
Interestingly enough, in the police department, I noticed that many of the police officers (usually of the male persuasion) loved motorcycles and usually owned one. I am sure that there is some sort of correlation between the high number of motorcycle owners who were on the police department and the law being intermingled in there. It's almost a catch-22 if you ask me. I never did figure it out. Usually the motorcycle riders are the ones that cops go after, right? So then why would so many cops own motorcycles?
Whatever the case, motorcycles hold an interest for many Americans. Each year, there are hundreds of motorcycle rallies across the country that draw thousands of riders, their families, friends and other supporters. There are also plenty of motorcycle clubs that do charity rides as well as raise money for various charities. See? Not all motorcycles are bad. One thing is for certain, however. People who own motorcycles don't just own a motorcycle so that they can drive the speed limit. They own motorcycles because they love the feel of the wind in their face and at their backs. They love the feeling of speeding down an open stretch of highway with nothing but the pavement beneath their feet.
