On a flight back from Barcelona, I struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me. She asked me what I was doing in Spain, and I explained that I ride motorcycles for a living and tell people what it’s like. “Oh. You’re an Influencer.”
Well, not exactly.
When I started in this biz in the 1900s, there was no such thing as an Influencer. Heck, there weren’t even websites yet. If you were at an introduction for a new motorcycle, it was because you worked for a respected media outlet. No one else was there. Although the other journalists were competitors, we were still bonded by a common goal—sharing our knowledge with our readers.
It wasn’t until the launch of a retro-style motorcycle that I started to run into Influencers, who seemed to have been borne by social media. Instead of maybe a dozen journalists on a ride, over 50 people were saddling up, most of whom I didn’t know. That’s fine, really; times change, and so, too, does the media landscape.
This intro involved riding on Interstate 10 through the California desert at 80 mph and then sprinting up into the San Jacinto Mountains on a spectacularly twisty road. While the focus of the bike was its style, and there was an emphasis on the motorcycle as a lifestyle accessory, it was a performance motorcycle that might be intimidating to an inexperienced rider.
Along the way, one of the bikes had a problem, and we pulled over to the shoulder while the staff decided what to do. Suddenly, an Influencer decides to ride into the ditch along the shoulder to test the motorcycle’s scrambling ability. That immediately enraged one of the staff members, who shook his index finger and yelled “No! No! No!” at the rider displaying extremely poor judgment. Scramblers are often a compelling styling exercise, and while they may look the part, only a handful have the off-road capabilities their appearance implies. There is a certain etiquette at press events, and knowing when to color outside the lines is half the battle—this wasn’t one of them.
When we got to the mountain portion of the ride, I was behind a rider who leaned the motorcycle into every turn and leaned her body in exactly the wrong direction. She was riding at a beginner’s pace, at best, and we had been instructed not to pass anyone. All I could do was watch with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Fortunately, a crash never occurred, and I ended up sitting next to the rider I had been following at lunch. I asked her about her experience riding. As it turns out, her riding was limited to 50cc scooters, though she was familiar with a manual clutch and gearbox. She had never ridden outside an urban area or at speeds higher than 35 mph and volunteered that she was terrified on the freeway. Who wouldn’t be in her situation? While we were going 80 mph, there were plenty of semi-trucks on the road; it was windy, and many cars were going much faster. It was no place for a novice.
That led to a discussion of her unorthodox cornering technique. She told me how she rode around town when making left or right turns—lean the bike in and use her body as a counterweight to the outside. Okay. That’ll work up to a point in downtown San Francisco.
I gently explained that her urban riding style wasn’t translating well to the faster and curvier mountain roads, and she agreed. Fortunately, this was in an era before “mansplaining” was a term.
I wanted to help her out and keep things simple. So, I told her she should stay in line with the bike when it leans. Don’t lean inside or outside. She appreciated the information and said she would try it.
With lunch finished, we were back on the twisties, and I was behind her again. Much to my relief, she followed my advice to a T. She stayed static on the bike and looked confident leaning into the corners—a vast improvement.
At the next stop, I asked her how she was doing. She said it felt much better and appreciated that I had offered her some help. I was relieved, as it made the ride much more relaxing, though not much faster.
Lunch was very much Influencer-oriented, with activities like archery, Frisbee, lawn bowling, and other pastimes I had no interest in—maybe Lawn Darts would have gotten my attention.
I got together with another journalist, and we decided to stage a minor mutiny. We asked the manufacturer’s representative if we could ditch the two-hour lunch break and ride back to the hotel on our own. He was disappointed that we would rather ride motorcycles than participate in day camp fun, but after consulting with his colleagues, we were given the okay to take off together.
Off the two of us went, having a grand old time twisting the throttle and not being stuck riding with Influencers. We were engaged in some hooligan-style antics, twice being observed by the local law enforcement officers, who seemed to approve of our deeds. We couldn’t figure out why we hadn’t been pulled over until we discovered the police were there for traffic control for a commercial shoot. Whew!
So, that was my first experience with Influencers. We still see Influencers at new bike launches, though usually for “lifestyle” models rather than the motorcycles aimed at enthusiasts. I actually like most of the Influencers I have met at press launches, but riding motorcycles with someone who isn’t a motorcyclist is a strange concept. If they can persuade fellow non-enthusiasts to get on two wheels, that’s good for everyone, though I’m not sure how that works.
“Oh. You’re an Influencer.” As I told her, “Definitely.”
