Do you have to be a gearhead to ride? Not really, but it sure doesn't hurt to have a little mechanical knowledge under your belt.
It's a pretty common assumption made by most non-participants that motorcycle riders have a natural inclination toward all that is mechanical. Almost as if by stereotypical association: "He rides motorcycles, must be a gear-head." However, we know that if this were the case, motorcycle mechanics and repair shops everywhere would be packing up and cashing in on high dollar property bids from Starbucks.
The reality is that, although the motorcycle industry is a facet of the transportation spectrum, it is a focused segment of a larger whole. Misconceptions are so often blown out of proportion (becoming stereotypes over time), there is some truth to the notion that motorcycle riders are more in tune with the inner workings of their passion more than, say, the average four-wheel motorist who takes for granted that by simply turning the key the car should run.
Motorcycles are actually as much science as they are art forms, the culmination of many individual parts contributing to the function of a greater good. Riders (especially those who've been around long enough to remember terms such as "pre-mix" or "points") learned early the importance of being fairly competent at regular maintenance and especially emergency road-side diagnostics, as this was often crucial if one planned to return (with the motorcycle) from a tour. Even as bikes became more reliable, some degree of understanding remained an important aspect of becoming involved in the sport. After all, it would become a very pricey hobby were one required to bring their bike to the shop each time a chain needed lubrication or a spark plug fouled.
Natural progression leads us into a better understanding, and even those who care not to delve into the specifics of valve tolerances or timing belt precision slowly come to a general understanding of what propels the vehicle by simple maintenance tasks coupled with logic. There is a period of awakening where most riders suddenly realize that they've taken for granted that the piston nestled within the cylinder just inches from their legs is firing up and down hundreds of times per second, or that the science of hydraulic fluid running through little rubber hoses is what keeps them from becoming a smear on the gate of a tractor-trailer at the next stop light.
To some extent all motorcycles are mechanical marvels, a collection of high performance parts and scientific innovation.
This isn't to say the fundamentals differ from any other mechanical device. After all, the FAA is so in tune with the relationship between properly functioning mechanical parts and safety that they exist to regulate and set standards pilots (and aircraft) must meet to be granted the ability to take flight. Likewise, automobiles must pass mechanical standards (including ever-increasing emissions and noise regulations) for the right to be certified as legal for the road, as are motorcycles.
Perhaps it is the "oneness" of rider and machine that can only be experienced by taking a bike out onto the highway or into heavy traffic, realizing the fine job it does of turning the science behind the technology into a reality. Or maybe it is because the noise, the exposed mechanical workings, or the wind on your face makes it impossible to ignore the truth that a rider must have faith in the technology beneath him. And who better to trust such mechanical integrity than by one's own inspection?
We are a technologically obsessed society, dependent upon cell phones, GPS, laptops, microwave ovens, and digital cable. Yet how often do we stop to research exactly what makes food in the microwave get hot or how our voices can be transmitted nearly instantly from Texas to China?
Perhaps motorcycles are different - our lives aren't at stake in fully understanding the science behind the microprocessor in our laptop. Sooner or later (depending on the rider), a deeper understanding of not only how but also why the science and technology involved in causing their GSX-R600 to wheelie off the line, or how weighting the outside peg in a turn aids in holding traction in the rain. When it comes to motorcycles, maybe there is no such thing as useless knowledge.
So is society right? Are all motorcyclists gear-heads then? Maybe so, but like the FAA's role in aviation, perhaps we have to be. Our lives may depend on it.
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