A lot of motorcyclists will tell you that a quick ride is a excellent solution for a mental health decline. Stressful day at work? Motorcycle. Tough personal situation? Motorcycle. And the list goes on. Based on the sheer numbers of motorcyclists it’s safe to say that there is a positive effect of motorcycle riding on a persons mental health.
Riding a motorcycle is factually good for your mental health.
Back in 2018, no less than Harley-Davidson assigned Dr. Don Vaughn to conduct a study on various motorcyclists. Harley did so, cause they too were curious to see actual proof of all these claims from their clients about riding their motorcycles making them feel better.
So Dr. Don Vaughn and his team went and did just that. A variation of experiments have been conducted. Various motorcyclists were asked to take a 22 minute long ride on their own motorcycles in the same conditions. Brain activity was measured on all riders, during and after their ride. For good measurement, comparisons were made from riding, to resting and driving a car. For extra good measure, a gold medalist X-Games athlete was thrown in the mix, comparing his brain activity during performing on a absolute top level, to riding his Harley-Davidson.
Not just a claim
The results of this study shows some interesting takeaways. From more focus, to reduced stress levels. A brief summary:
- Riding a motorcycle decreased hormonal biomarkers of stress by 25%
- All riders have shown an increase in situational awareness
- A motorcycle ride has shown a similar effect to drinking a cup of coffee
The research formulated this in much more fancy wording of course, but we have taken the liberty to translate this for us non-doctors out there. The above is also just a brief overview. For the full research, you can purchase it here.
This is very important to us. Because while we at Throttle Therapy advocate for people to get their motorcycle license and give them a good tool to help their mental health, we now know that this isn’t just a claim.
So are you someone that sometimes has trouble unwinding from work? It’s safe to say that a motorcycle can help you with that.