Motorcycle Travel Writers Convention

As I was preparing to visit Ireland this summer, a fellow motorcycle travel writer based in Belfast generously offered me the use of his Royal Enfield Bullet and an afternoon tour of the North coast.  Unfortunately, I was too far from Belfast when he was at home and then he flew off to someplace in Southern Europe to test ride an exotic motorcycle. (Boo hoo . . . part  of his job as a features editor for the Belfast News Letter.)  As for me, it happened to be the rainiest June in historical record for Ireland (can  you say "Global Warming?"), and I, being a California-bred rider, am a bit wary of riding in wet weather, especially in torrential downpours, on narrow byways, on the wrong side off the road.  So I regret to report that I didn’t ride and, worse yet, that I didn’t get to meet Geoff Hill.

"We must have a motorcycle writers convention, I emailed him, optimistically, once I was back home enjoying the dry California summer. He agreed, but that "a rolling around the world one would be better."

I suppose we all do that already, by ourselves. But what if we got a gang of writers together, rode around, and all wrote about it? My Wild Writing Women group of  adventure travel writers here in the SF Bay Area sometimes does that. In fact, we were just all in Ireland together and the next issue of our magazine will have four different stories about the same summer solstice event in a small town. (Sign up for our mailing list to be notified when it comes out.)

I also remarked to Geoff that there seems to be an awful lot of motorcycle travel writers out there these days. Maybe it’s because motorcycling is becoming more popular every year, and "travel writer" is always at the top of the list of dream careers, despite the low-to-no pay.

"I think you’re  right about bike riders and writers," Geoff replied. "Everyone’s either doing it, or wants to.  Maybe it’s because riding a motorbike is such a romantic endeavour that it attracts people who are attracted to the sort of visions and dreams which turn naturally into writing. I always think, for men at least, that it’s a homage  to knights on horses: even the gear, like the armoured suit, the gauntlets and  the visored helmet is the same, not to mention the way bikers will greet each  other in passing by at least tilting their heads in the same way as knights did."

Wow! I wonder if American men feel the same way, or if that’s a uniquely British perspective. I would guess that for American men, motorcycles are attractive because of their connection with a darker side — the renegade or outlaw. (Let me know in the COMMENTS section, below.)

Most of us motorcycle travel writers also get to test ride and review different motorcycles, so we get a chance to try on the different personas that comes with each brand or type. (Women experience different reactions and attractions when we wear wigs or change our hair color.)  Geoff observed, "I’m sure you’ve noticed, but when I was riding the Harley from Chicago  to LA, there was a very distinct hierarchy in the way other riders greeted  you: with sport bikers, it was a dip of the head, with non-Harley cruisers, it  was a hand up, and with Harleys, it was a flat hand out, dead cool."

I’ve noticed the same thing, but when I rode the Ural sidecar rig for the American Borders trip, everyone waved, which is why I got such a kick out of that particular bike.

So okay, Geoff, maybe one day we’ll sort out a particular route for our "rolling around the world" motorcycle travel writers convention. Until then, I hope our paths cross soon!