Has your personality changed since you took up motorcycling?

Message

Grey Thumper · Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:45 pm

I think mine has, in subtle ways. I feel more "complete", now that I've gotten rid of that nagging yearning in the back of my head (felt something similar when I took up scuba diving. You know that feeling when you finally get around to trying out something you always wanted to do?). I'm also possibly more relaxed overall, since there's the extra outlet for stress-release. I think my driving personality has changed as well; more focused, more patient, and more situationally aware (still not as much as when I'm on the bike, but I'm trying to get there).

Johnj · #2 Unread post by **Johnj** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 6:17 pm

I'd have to say yes. When I started riding a lot I was a young man and now I'm a grandfather.

PacificShot327 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 7:19 pm

Absolutely. I'm a lot more laid-back than I was before I started riding seriously. I wouldn't say that I'm any more patient. I will definitely say it's made me a better driver - I'm a lot more aware of my situation now.

I think it actually kind of improved my social life there for a while... I was always finding excuses to get out and ride, and if that meant going to see people, well, so be it!

MTexile · #4 Unread post by **MTexile** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:22 pm

It's made me more alert and relaxed on the road at the same time. Socially it gives me more to talk about with people. Get quite surprised at folks who ride that I meet at work...'Don't judge a book by it's cover I guess'.

Scott58 · #5 Unread post by **Scott58** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:48 am

Don't remember, been a long time since I was 16.

havegunjoe · Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:30 am

Absolutely! I look over at guys riding their mini-van and just know they wish they were me. I guess that perhaps makes me a little cocky.

Gummiente · #7 Unread post by **Gummiente** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:36 am

I don't have any personality that I'm aware of.

RockBottom · Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:39 pm

Gummiente wrote:I don't have any personality that I'm aware of.

Oh, c'mon--all it takes is 2 or 3 high quality Harley jokes to bring it out of you!

Gummiente · #9 Unread post by **Gummiente** » Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:01 pm

RockBottom wrote:
Gummiente wrote:I don't have any personality that I'm aware of.
Oh, c'mon--all it takes is 2 or 3 high quality Harley jokes to bring it out of you!

No, that's my Evil Twin that comes out.

RhadamYgg · Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:01 pm

I am certainly different than I was before riding motorcycles. It is questionable if this difference is any more or less than the difference that would normally happen after a years time in terms of the size of the difference in personality.

I do believe that the direction of the changes in me have been altered - I'm not sure if this is a permanent change or not. The changes in myself have had interesting repercussions that are not predictable in nature. Since before riding I was probably entirely predictable in nature, this is probably a good thing.

Fortunately, I don't think I (or anyone) has completed the changes in life until they are dead. So, we'll see what happens.

RhadamYgg