Throttle Therapy & Why We Ride | The Science of Motorcycle Stress-relief
WHY DOES RIDING A MOTORCYCLE RELIVE STRESS?
Motorcyclists have long expressed that going for a ride is a stress reducing experience and essential for their mental wellness. In this video, I back up the concept of “throttle therapy” with a few key studies about body language, hormones, focus, and a Harley-Davidson funded study from UCLA measuring stress and adrenaline. Let me know in the comments what your experience has been with motorcycling and stress relief. What about it gives you peace or presence?
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“How Successful People Handle Stress” Travis Bradberry, Forbes (2015) → https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2015/05/26/how-successful-people-turn-stress-and-anxiety-into-top-performance/#38e123523867
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Hello! I’m Meghan Stark, a web developer, writer, and motorcycle enthusiast living in Milwaukee, WI. I’ve been riding on the street since 2016 (in the dirt long before then) and currently own a 2017 Ducati Scrambler Cafe Racer.
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30 Comments
Hello all, I really put my heart & brain into this one! I’d love it if you’d share it around. What your experience has been with motorcycling and stress relief/meditation?
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I came across this video as soon as I woke up after dreaming of riding last night.
It's been raining a lot in Brisbane of late and it's usually beautiful weather, usually too hot to ride.
What I'm trying to say is I haven't riden in awhile and I really wanted to ride this morning.
The weather has finally cooled and I'm really in need of the throttle therapy mentioned in this video.
I couldn't help but agree with everything.
Keep the shiny side up everyone and happy trails..
3:33 Don’t ride with a partner like this. Way too close.
It’s why I ride alone.
This is ALL true…. Been riding for 47 years and counting.
I always wondered why motorcycle hobby kept me going through stressful life. Now it's confirmed 😅😅
My problem is i day dream when riding a two wheeler. I put myself in danger. Car is safer !
As much as I love 2 wheelers, I just love the convenience and freedom from stress offered by public transportation (for daily commute, of course )
Get in, pay, sit and relax until your destination arrives
Love the video and could not agree more with you. I am 75 years old. Lost my wife to breast cancer 5 years ago. On her last night she said she wanted me to live a full life and do “something you have always wanted to do!” Last year in 2024 i flew cross country in January and took a motorcycle training class. I passed my state’s MSF course in March and bought my Ninja 500. To those who are new to riding…at any age…you can do it. And the feeling when you ease out the clutch and pull on the throttle…when the bike stands up and you glide off…there is no other feeling like it! And like so many others, the stress fades, life is worth living and enjoying. The additional byproduct is that even if you were a good automobile driver before you started riding, once you learn to ride and experience you are in charge of yours and others safety, cause no one else is…you become a better car driver too. Great video! Thank you.
It also shifts your focus; if you're a smart rider, you're thinking about how you're riding, watching what's going on around you, etc. You don't have time to fixate on everything wrong in your life. Just shifting your attention off the bad gives your mind and body a break!
For me, riding a motorcycle is like stepping into a meditative state. It transforms my daily commute to work into an exhilarating escape, where each twist of the throttle ignites a sense of freedom and clarity.
The vibration may be salubrious too. Vibration therapy. And some riders may find this a source of pleasure…
Ride more… life's too short to drive
It’s fun, no argument here, but one other driver’s mistake is too much, and it’s not even your fault.
I full heartily agree. Must question 20 minutes? When I ride it's hours of therapy not minutes. Locally would do just the opposite do to traffic and road construction making your ride not a ride ~ stop and go/waiting to actually get to ride is so F- ing frustrating. Guess that depends on where you live.✌️🏍🏍🏍
Keep the shinny side up and Ride On❤
RIDE SAFE, ALL.
Ride for life 💯 no better therapy & i wish more woman would take up motorcycling.
@MeganStark What bike are you riding, it's a beauty😍, I'm newly licensed and looking for something like what you have pictured. Maybe I can stop my therapy sessions! 🤪
It makes me wonder why a motorcycle heavy like HD funds a study to "officially" state something that we already know. I think a free survey/gear giveaway would have accomplished (generated) way more financial rewards.
Part of it is that "presence" and "mindfulness". When riding a bike, you have to be present in the moment. You can get a similar effect, though not as potent, when driving a stick shift car.
I'm in my mid 60's and own two bikes. One dirt modified with a legal tag and the other is a sport touring. Been riding over 50 years. Actually, its my first love that has never let me down. My favorite thing is to go trail blazing.
And the best thing is that bikes are cheap to ride. 3 or 4 times the mileage of a car. So you go 4 times more distance for the same amount of fuel. Plus you get the fun of an open jeep and an airplane both at the same time. But do ride within safe speed limits.
Cars are faster in general! Bikes are more open and view enjoyment! I get my speed fix from cars and my adventure fix from bikes and trucks!
I used to LOVE riding as a teenager into my early 20's. Then one Friday evening I was heading home on the interstate and was rear ended by a drunk driver. I was very fortunate to not get run over by traffic and ended up with only road rash, but I haven't been on a bike since that day. I miss it a lot.
Before I ride true motorcycle (manual gearbox) I ride a scooter, at that time I thought acooter and motorcycle are the same so I cannot relate to videos like this. But then after I ride true motorcycle, I can relate and its true it is so different than ride a scooter, it is a full therapy for me, I never been this mindful when I am doing thing. I ride every morning before going to work and after working too, I never been this recharged after work. Hopefully this will last long and I hope its not because I just started to ride.
It’s great but you have to watch out for cyclists hogging the road when your going through a corner in the hills I prefer highway ,cyclists do my head in
I've been riding for 55 years & I still love it, TRU STORY, my wife, Debra rode with me for years, 6 years ago she came down with Parkinsons disease & stopped riding. After a year, she told me she wanted to ride again, just once more. I surprised her by building a custom bike with a sidecar for her safety thinking she would ride once , maybe twice & that would have been fine. To my surprise I noticed after we rode for 5~10 miles her shaking stopped & she perked-up a lot. Debra told be she forgets she has the disease when she rides! MOTORCYCLE THERAPY IS REAL! Search "Debra rides again" here on you tube you will see the day I surprised her with the bike I built… her reaction is priceless!
Cool. Can you also touch on the fact that motorbike riding is an extremely heavy input activity. EG: right hand throttle + brake. Left hand clutch.. left and right feet again.. handle bar connection.. blinkers, horn, lights, mirrors, visor, navigation, wind, sun, hot, colder. Etc etc etc. For me I think it’s sooo engaging that you simply can’t think of anything else.. if I do intend to ride worse. Less fluid and nervous a bit.. But in that zone it’s like only this moment exists..
* " THROTTLE THERAPY "
& LIKE CHRISTOPHER CROSS'S SONG ——
" RIDE LIKE THE WIND " !!!!
if you’re using a car every day with just one person in it, you’re losing your economic security.😮