THE SPOKES MAN THE ALLURE Motorcycle riders. Why do they do it, and when did it start? Way back at the dawn of mechanized transport, individuals couldn’t have their own steam locomotive, for instance, and a four-wheeled conveyance was too heavy for one person to propel, so the bicycle was invented. GREG ARNOLD A lifetime motorcycle-collecting hobbyist, Greg purchased his first motorbike at 11 years old from a neighbor in 1965 for $10. With his career background primarily rooted in the construction industry, Greg initially joined the Mecum team in 2011 to help remodel and expand Mecum Auctions’ Headquarters. In 2014, he put his passion for motorcycles to good use joining the Mecum motorcycle division as auction manager. Greg has two grown children, Ben and Violet, and lives with his wife, Cindy, in Mecum’s original hometown of Marengo, Illinois. Bicycles became enormously popular in the late 19th century for sport and personal transportation. Ordinary people could not afford a horse and its feed, nor did they have a place to house a horse. As soon as the most rudimentary internal combustion engines were invented, they were adapted to propel bicycles, and a unique form of transportation was born. Further development of motorcycles has obviously continued ever since, but a lot of the attraction to them was there from the start. What is the attraction? We’ll start with economy, which was especially important at the beginning. Because motorcycles are lighter and smaller than a car, a person can travel more miles using the same amount of gas, and the initial purchase price is also lower. Parking and storage is important, and motorcycles can be kept in a much smaller space than a car; try keeping a Kia in the living room. Still, above all else, the attraction to motorcycles stems most notably from the desire to have fun. Fun on or with motorcycles comes in many forms, but first and foremost, it’s the sensations. Leaning into a long, sweeping, downhill curve, and then flicking the motorcycle into an uphill one in the opposite direction is a feeling hard to beat. Awareness of surroundings becomes very acute; the sights, sounds and smells are unencumbered by sheet metal and glass like in a car. The rider is very aware of the weather too. Hot, cold, dry and wet, often in the same day, puts a rider in tune with the natural world around them. If weather is severe or at extremes, I’ll admit that sometimes, the best part of the ride is when it’s over, but even that comes with a feeling of accomplishment and perseverance. On the street, riders must be careful and defensive to last, as the stakes are definitely higher than in a car, but that required awareness sharpens proficiency and adds to the experience as well. For us, uh, older riders, the bike is something of a Fountain of Youth too; I never feel younger or more capable than when I’m piloting a big motorcycle down the road. Pop culture has either demonized or romanticized the motorcycle from the very start, which has oddly resulted in attracting all sorts of different people to the sport, but it’s the riding itself that keeps some people at it for decades. As a final note for anyone single and with fewer than three eyes, if you ride a motorcycle, you’ll never lack for companionship. See you on the road! 74 // MECUM.COM
