There’s something sacred about a motorcycle. You can’t quite explain it – but you feel it. In the roar, the rhythm, the way the world disappears around you. I especially feel it on my Goldwing.
I’ve ridden a number of motorcycles. All of them special, all of them with a different mission. My first one had significantly less power than the others, but it was special all the same.
I even had one bike where I dressed it up and led a wedding procession from the church to the reception. You don’t get to do that every day.
Every bike has brought me somewhere new, not just on the map, but within myself. Sonus is the bike that began to transform me. A small 300cc bike with the spirit of a big rig. Think of the children’s book, Little Toot. It could do a lot, but it wasn’t always easy. You can view my 2017 Tour of Honor video to see what I mean.
Woodstock – My Sacred Iron Horse
Now, the Goldwing is special and Woodstock, extra special. I’ve ridden over 75k miles on Woodstock. I’ve ridden to work, I’ve ridden across the country, to Key west and into Alberta and British Columbia. I’ve traveled light and I’ve pulled a trailer. Woodstock tours in comfort and carves the curves like silk. We’ve been together to the heights of the Beartooth Highway, the excitement of spending more time with Dad, and the lows of the Georgia Dragon get off, and the bad news of the doctor. I ride to celebrate, and I ride to process the pain. Woodstock is more than a bike; it’s been a witness, a companion, a quiet teacher.
And after all these miles, smiles and adventures – something has me thinking a little differently about Woodstock.
Rethinking Goldwing Generations
Now we usually talk about the Goldwing generations, but what if we look at this more as a rebirth? Not a Pheonix rising from ashes – no, the Goldwing isn’t born of fire. It cocoons, waits, transforms. Like an ancient creature that’s always becoming something more.
But it’s not just the year models that become more. As the miles accumulate, Woodstock changes, and so do I.
Travel Changes Us
Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” There’s a myriad of quotes regarding travel and personal growth. You can’t help it. It’s not just the adventure and the varied environment; it’s the people you meet along the way and the stories they share.
Spirit of the Sacred Iron Horse
We know the first Goldwing and all its incarnations. But what we don’t know, we Goldwing owners feel. All motorcyclists feel. It is the spirit of the motorcycle. Why do you think we name them? Why do we refer to them as Iron Horses?
Ask the natives. The name for horse in the Lakota language means sacred dog. They are a spiritual relative; they symbolize strength and freedom and were a gift from the Thunder Beings.
Motorcycles too are a gift. Birthed out of the thunder on the horizon. They rumble like distant hooves. They come not just with speed- but with spirit. The Gold Wing stands out among the gifts. A golden wing shining among the sacred. A perfect mix of power, agility and grace. Perfectly at home heading to the neighborhood hangout, as it is heading to the far reaches of the globe. A beautiful companion for any adventure.
For those of us who ride, we recognize our bikes as a relative, spiritual, or otherwise. This is why we put so much into our bikes. They aren’t transportation tools, they’re kin. Much like that crazy uncle in Jimmy Buffett’s Pascagoula Run. Whisking us off saying, “Time to see the world.”
Motorcycle Mindfulness – How Riding Heals the Soul
Even before the Thunder Beings gifted horses to the Lakota, they were viewed as therapeutic. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, noted their healing rhythms. Sound familiar?
As vibrational beings ourselves, we connect to our bikes through the vibration. I believe that is one reason why different bikes appeal to different people. It’s the vibe of the tribe. It’s also a reason we know when something is off about the bike. We feel the change in vibration.
They say you never see a motorcycle parked outside a therapist’s office. I don’t believe that should be true all the time, but that is for a different time. Why is it a truism? Because the motorcycle itself is healing.
The wind strips away the noise. The engine’s rhythm begins to sync with your body. The road demands your focus – not emails or errands, but the curve ahead and the feel of the throttle.
Riding a motorcycle can be seen as a type of moving meditation. In a world that constantly pulls our attention in a hundred directions – Am I saving enough? Did I forget something? – riding brings us home to ourselves. It quiets the mind. It centers the soul. It reminds us that peace isn’t always still, it can roar, it can lean, it can dance through traffic or glide through forest roads. That’s the beauty of the bike. In the saddle, we become more present, More grounded. More us. Riding doesn’t just take you places. It brings you back.
Yes, at 50 years old, the Goldwing continues to evolve, and so do we. Every ride is a chance to become something more. More for me, more for my family, more for my community.
So let’s ride, for our physical and mental health and for our self-development.
Share Your Sacred Ride
These are just a few thoughts from the saddle. But I want to hear yours. What’s your bike’s name? What stories has it carried? Let’s swap tales in the comments and spread the lore of the sacred iron horse and the miles that made you who you are.
Until my next adventure, this is Redbeard, see you on the road.
This post is available in video format on YouTube.