Coronavirus: How to Keep Yourself Moto-Busy?

As the 2020 riding season was about to kick off, we suddenly found ourselves off our bikes…and under lockdown. Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, many of us are now unable to ride. We get it: social distancing is important right now, and we hope you are all staying safe and healthy. Sane, though? Coronavirus outbreak is tough for motorcyclists, but we can stick together through this and come out the other side stronger and better!

To help you keep your two-wheeled passion (and sanity) going, we figured we’d share some ideas of what we can do during Coronavirus and how to keep moto-busy.

1. Goodbye Moto Meets, Hello Zoom

Let’s face it: we are all in this together. Sure, we may not be able to physically get out there, hang out, and ride together. But we can still connect, and with platforms like Skype or Zoom as well as social media live streaming options, we can still crack a cold one open around a digital bonfire. Have you noticed how people FaceTime a lot more often now, instead of merely hitting a “like” button and moving on? There’s no reason we can’t do this in the motorcycling community, too. Simply video-call your riding buddies and talk bikes, travels, and adventures.

2. Tuning In

As the Coronavirus chaos seems to be deepening and the restrictions are getting extended all over the world, most motorcycle events get either canceled or postponed. Understandably so; but this doesn’t apply to digital meetups. All across the board, from riding groups on Facebook to motorcycle and gear manufacturer blogs and social media pages, digital motorcycle meets are cropping up everywhere. Do a quick search on social and see if there are any live streaming events or live videoconferencing you could join: this could be a great way to reach out to other motorcyclists out there and keep up with what’s going on.

3. Motorcycle Netflix

Wouldn’t it be neat to have a kind of a motorcycle Netflix, where we could watch adventure travel films and racing documentaries on demand? Until that happens, however, you may need to simply get on YouTube. There’s no shortage of interesting motorcycle travelers, riding coaches, racers, and other bike maniacs out there doing some cool stuff with their videos. And if all else fails, there’s the Long Way Round series or the Somewhere Else Tomorrow films to stay inspired. Tired of the LRW? There’s always the Ewan and Thingy parody to help keep your spirits up and your sense of humor intact. This would definitely help to not go out of your mind during Coronavirus outbreak!

4. Volunteering

During Coronavirus – this is a tough time for a lot of people, especially the elderly and those who have health issues or are at risk in terms of poverty or homelessness. If you have some time to spare, consider volunteering – even simple things like delivering food on your motorcycle to those in need can make a difference. If you’re not sure where to start, simply contact local charities or NGOs who are working to help people in need and ask them if you can help in any way. More often than not, supporting and helping others is more rewarding than we imagine.

5. Getting Dirty

If your motorcycle is parked in the garage right now, and you’ve had enough of scrolling and chatting online, get your hands dirty. This is the perfect time to work on your motorcycle! Do a simple service, go over the entire bike and make sure all the fasteners are torqued to spec, clean and lube your chain, check your brake pads… There’s always something to do when it comes to motorcycle maintenance. And let’s be honest with ourselves: we all have some farkle hiding in a box somewhere that we just never had the time to install. New skid plate, brake lights, a USB charging port you ordered online but never brought yourself to actually installing on your bike? Yep, we all have something like that laying around the garage. During Covid-19 lockdown – it is the best time to finally get it done!

6. Skill Sharing

If you’re mechanically minded, and you know your riding buddies need help fixing or maintaining their bikes, why not share your expertise? Have your friends video call you, so you could help them do that oil change they’ve been wanting to learn. Alternatively, if you’ve got some kickass video editing, social media, photography, or riding skills, share those, too. Just stick your phone on a tripod and start talking – educational videos are exploding right now, and you can help other riders out without ever leaving your home.

7. Down the Memory Lane

Admit it: you’ve got hours and hours of unedited GoPro footage on your hard drive, and you’ve been dreading to even look at it. Well, now is the time to dig right in! Watching your old riding videos is an excellent way to take a stroll down the memory lane, and who knows, you may finally get to edit them and start putting some cool videos together. If you do, don’t forget to tag us in them!