Old Bike Mart Magazine 420 - June 2020 Back Issue

So, are we allowed out yet?

At the time of writing (May 27), it is still something of a moot point, as we are seemingly allowed to travel any distance in order to get some exercise (albeit only within the confines of England, as Scotland and Wales are, at this point, still ‘locked-down’), yet travelling simply for the joy of travel seems to be frowned upon, regardless of the fact that the joy of the journey is the main reason why we like motorcycles, especially classic ones.

Of course, the situation may have changed – in either direction – by the time this magazine has made it to your front door, but whatever the case, we can still rest easy knowing that riding a motorcycle (classic or otherwise) is perhaps the safest form of transport as far as any kind of socially spread disease is concerned.

As motorcyclists, we tend to travel alone, or with a loved one or close family member, and we wear protective equipment in the form of face and eye protection and hand coverage pretty much at all times.

And then there’s all the benefits that riding a bike has in terms of trafficbusting, economy and – perhaps the most important of all, yet often the last to be mentioned – the mental health benefits of riding a bike. And that last factor must surely be of huge importance, given the statements made by health professionals about the increase in mental health issues due to the Covid-19 lockdown…