Motorcycling is not just a form of transportation – it is a passion, a lifestyle, a community. Some pursue it as a hobby, for others it is part of their daily life, but one thing is certain: once you get a taste of it, it becomes an eternal love.
In this coffee break episode, we asked six of our colleagues about their experiences with motorcycling, their first bikes, their favorite tours, and their future dreams. They are all different – and that is exactly what made this interview truly colorful.
Sit back with a coffee in hand and get to know them from a new perspective!
Péter
Beginnings – How did it start?
Clarity When and why did you start riding a motorcycle?
Péter Does the moped era count? At age 13 without a license, like many others in the countryside, then at age 14 already with a license in hand, I rode my HONDA MB5, imported from the Netherlands, to training sessions, which was considered very cool back then. During my university years, I went to events and visited the Harley Davidson festival in Alsóörs several times. Petrol fumes, large cubic capacities, chrome and shine, I really enjoyed this environment!
Clarity What was your first motorcycle? What memories are connected to it?
Péter Thanks to the HD meetings, my first "real, big" bike was a Yamaha DragStar 1100 chopper or cruiser. I sourced extra accessories from abroad, such as a Sissy bar, wide floorboards, leather side and tail bags, etc. In other words, I souped it up so that we could take long tours with two people. My wife and I rode to the neighboring countries.
Clarity Was there anyone who inspired or helped you in the beginning?
Péter Yes, in order: the participants of the HD meetings, 1 motorcycle group, touring groups found on the net, and a riding technique training instructor. But several of my cousins were also riding at that time. The inspiration came from the joint rides. I still build on that, though both the bike and the circumstances changed significantly with the arrival of the children, because my bike became smaller (Suzuki TU250X) and I use it mostly just for commuting.
Vivien
The motorcycle and you
Clarity What kind of motorcycle do you have now, and why did you choose that particular one?
Vivi I have just switched categories and chose a Yamaha MT-07. I was looking for a bike that is easy to handle, reliable, and naked. I believe in Japanese bikes, so I preferred a Honda or a Yamaha. And last but not least, its sound is beautiful too.
Clarity If your bike were a personality, what would it be like?
Vivi If my bike were a personality, it would be a black cat – elegant, decisive, and when it starts up, it's like purring. But just like a cat, it is a loyal companion with whom every moment is special.
Clarity What is the best thing about commuting by motorcycle?
Vivi When I ride, another side of my personality comes out. The one I really want to be. I think only motorcyclists truly understand this feeling, but having complete control over something makes that feeling addictive. Motorcycling brightens my days; if I go to work on it in the morning, I am in a good mood all day and can hardly wait to get back on it when working hours are over.
Attila
Adventures on the road
Clarity Do you remember a memorable tour or motorcycling experience? Would you tell us about it?
Attila Fortunately, I have many beautiful and exciting motorcycle tours behind me, but perhaps the most memorable for me was still my very first motorcycle tour. Although this was not in the most beautiful or best place, because it was my first real motorcycle tour, it is one of the most memorable for me. The location is Route 69 in Austria, which is a very well-known and popular route among motorcyclists. Near the town of Soboth, there is an artificial reservoir, which is stunning in itself, but proceeding from here towards Lavamünd, the high-quality road leads through a beautiful mountainous and valley area with quite a few very enjoyable bends. As a "first-tour" motorcyclist, I really liked this section, so we rode it back and forth several times. On the first round we obviously enjoyed the curves😊, but after that we stopped at the highest point of this section (1335 m) and took quite a few photos too. The view is truly magnificent.
Clarity Was there ever a place that you reached for the first time by motorcycle? How did it feel?
Attila Yes, there were a few places that I reached for the first time by motorcycle, including both domestic and foreign locations. Naturally, it is a very good feeling to reach places you have been longing for, especially with your favorite "ride".
Clarity What were the most extreme weather conditions you had to ride in?
Attila On one of the tours, we started from Szekszárd and with the destination of Villány, we passed through the following settlements: Szálka, Mőcsény, Bonyhád, Nagymányok, Szászvár, Magyaregregy, Zobákpuszta, Komló, Magyarszék, Magyarhertelend, Orfű, Pécs.
Four of us set off on the tour, everyone had a phone, various route planners, and one of the guys (also Ati, like me) even had a weather monitoring app. Before Komló, about halfway through the tour, we stopped for a short break. At this point, Ati indicated that we should hurry up and get going, because according to the app a heavy rain was coming, but if we set off now we would just avoid it. Two of the four guys had rain gear, the other two did not (I was one of those who didn't😊). Those who had it said they wouldn't bother putting on the rain gear, but rather we should start as soon as possible to avoid the rain. From here you can already guess what followed. Of course, we ran, or rather rode, right into the biggest downpour of our lives, you know when a very large amount of rain pours down on you very suddenly. We had no chance to shelter anywhere, partly because of the suddenness of the rain, and anyway, there was nowhere to go because this section is such that there are trees and forest on both sides. So in about half a minute, we were literally soaked to the skin. We decided that it didn't matter now, we were soaking wet and didn't know when the rain would stop, so we kept going towards Komló. As soon as we entered Komló, there was immediately a bus stop that was covered (until then we only came across ones marked by a simple sign... Murphy). We parked the bikes next to the bus stop and we took shelter in the covered stop. Here, in our misery, we took some funny pictures and videos, for example, of how you can pour several deciliters of water out of a motorcycle boot😊. Since then, I don't like riding in the rain... anyone who has ever ridden like this, meaning completely soaked, knows that it can be awfully cold because the wind makes you feel the wet clothes on you as if it were an "ice vest".
The lesson: always have rain gear with you and put it on when you can😊 By the way, the route described above is a very nice little motorcycle route, and the following year we set off again and went all the way through it (without rain😊).
Dávid
Community and way of life
Clarity What does the motorcycle community mean to you?
Dávid For me, the motorcycle community can be approached from several sides. On one hand, it means a kind of diversity, because as many as jump on a bike, there are just as many types of people and types of machines, from small to large, from scooters all the way to larger, heavier touring bikes or sport bikes. The beautiful thing about it is that on the road everyone is equal; if it has two wheels and runs on an electric or internal combustion engine, then it counts as a motorcycle, and is part of the overall motorcycle community, even if they are "just" sitting on a smaller scooter.
Approaching it from another angle, unlike car drivers, I have known motorcyclists to be an exceptionally cohesive community, whether it's about the various motorcycle groups available on social media platforms, where one can ask for advice on bike selection, parts, gear, etc. But what I think is most important is that if anything happens to us while riding on the road, if another rider passes by, they will definitely try to help. (This has already happened to me, and I too have stopped to help a rider in distress.) So it also means helpfulness and mutual assistance to me.
Another aspect of the thing is that I typically like to "tour" in groups, whether with two or more people at the same time, because these occasions provide a good opportunity to listen to each other's experiences regarding certain traffic situations or just handling and maintaining the bikes. Not to mention that the team spirit gives a kind of good feeling alongside the already enjoyable ride. 😊 So the motorcycle community can pair up in this sense with exchange of ideas and enjoyment as well.
Clarity Do you regularly go to meetings or tours with others? Do you have a "team"?
Dávid Yes, I do. So far, I have rarely made it to meetings, but we regularly go touring in the summers, as I wrote earlier, with two or more people from my circle of acquaintances, whoever happens to be free. I don't have a fixed team, at least it's not explicitly stated, since as many as we are, there are just as many life situations that can arise (children, family, etc.), making it variable who is free when and for how long to ride. I would rather call it a circle of acquaintances/buddies with whom we sometimes go for a ride in varying numbers.
By the way, so far we have typically wandered here and there within the country's borders, for single days or afternoons, maybe touching upon Slovakia, but it wasn't typical for us to go away for several days to ride. Usually, the sentence is uttered by one of us: "Shall we run down to the corner store?" which usually means doing the "Danube Bend loop", part of which takes place in Slovakia, where we eat some chocolate at Billa, come back to the Hungarian side at Esztergom, and then head home towards Dobogókő, through the forest. We also liked the Bajna-Héreg route, but nowadays rather reckless characters go there, so we rarely go that way. And of course, in the summers we have to ride down to Lake Balaton a few times for ice cream, maybe even ride around it since we are already there. This year, however, it seems many of us can manage to break away for a long weekend and target the Slovenian mountains. 😉
In addition, there are always big plans, for example, the Transfăgărășan or the Stelvio Pass, but these seem to be waiting for their turn.
Clarity In your opinion, what makes someone a "real motorcyclist"?
Dávid Whew, this is a difficult question and also one that can be grasped from many sides. In short: anyone who rides a motorcycle is a motorcyclist, but I guess that's not what you're curious about right now. 😉
Personally, I would approach this question from how consciously and responsibly the person riding does it. For me, these are the characteristics of a "real motorcyclist".
I mean this on one hand because, for me, it is shocking when I see someone on any two-wheeler riding in flip-flops and a single tank top. In such cases, I think okay, he doesn't fear for his own physical safety, but what is not okay is that he sets an awfully bad example for others who intend to get on a bike. So in my opinion, a good rider has regard for their own and others' physical safety, and rides that often unreasonably powerful machine under them with responsibility.
On the other hand, in my opinion, motorcycling is a path in a person's own character development. By this I mean that the more you ride, the more cautious you are, the more you pay attention to your surroundings, and the better you get to know yourself, your own limits, plus those of your bike. People often say, and it might sound like a big cliché, "Respect the machine!", and the power under you, know your limits, step gradually towards larger cc, etc. I think no matter how general or cliché these sayings are, there is some truth in them.
So overall, I think a "real motorcyclist" is someone who rides the machine responsibly, is aware of their own and their bike's limits, has some technical knowledge if necessary, is cautious, helpful, and develops their knowledge as much as possible, learning from their own and others' mistakes, analyzing situations afterwards. These qualities typically bring along the fact that they don't ride just because it's cool... They say "anyone can twist the throttle". I also think that the above are much more important than speed, because if you ride according to these, you have a better chance of getting home at the end of the day, and last but not least, you can enjoy the rides better. For me, these are the real motorcyclists.
Benedek
Practicality or passion?
Clarity Is the motorcycle more of a means of transportation or a lifestyle for you?
Benedek I try to view the bike as little as a means of transportation as possible; for me, it is more of a hobby, entertainment. Of course, there are occasions when the goal is to get from A to B as quickly as possible, but even then I try to adjust both the timing and the route so that it is also enjoyable, so of course, the "as quickly as possible" condition is usually not met, but at least I had a good ride. Is it a lifestyle? I wouldn't say that, I will probably never belong to the most extreme riders. To some extent, however, it has to be, since motorcycling is far from comfort, quiet, and peaceful travel. One plunges into a completely different world where very different people look for very similar things, the smell of petrol steaming in the helmet, the acceleration that one rarely experiences in a car, becoming one with the bike during the curves. So maybe it is a lifestyle after all. :D
Clarity Do you also use it for commuting to work, or is it rather just a hobby?
Benedek To work less frequently, it is limited as to what kind of weather and what time of day motorcycling can provide an experience, and since I live far away, it is often difficult to reconcile. I would rather call it a hobby or even more than that, which easily infects a person.
Clarity How much does motorcycling influence your daily life?
Benedek The biggest change I feel is in my driving style since I first got on a bike. It's easier to make mistakes on a bike than, say, in a car, and the consequences can be more significant, and this attitude shows even when I am driving a car. It affects my daily life to the extent that if there is an opportunity, I like to fit in at least one ride a week, and I usually adjust my weekends to this; unfortunately, this can be addictive, one easily misses the experience and adrenaline given by the curve hunting between Lillafüred and Felsőtárkány.
Linda
Future and dreams
Clarity Is there a bike you would really like to have one day?
Linda Kawasaki ER-6F or Ninja 650 cc, in BLUE. Everything else is just a compromise. :)
Clarity What tour route is on your bucket list?
Linda Budapest – Bristol – Budapest. It's also fine if it doesn't rain in the meantime…
Clarity If you could ride a motorcycle anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Linda California's Pacific Coast Highway
Clarity What would be your bike's name if you named it?
Linda Bluetiful :) (it doesn't shout, but everyone pays attention when it appears)
Thank you for the conversation!
Special thanks to our colleagues for sharing their personal stories and experiences from the world of motorcycling with us.
We hope everyone found something inspiring or interesting in the conversations – whether as a rider or just reading with curiosity.
We wish everyone safe journeys rich in experiences!
