Freedom : What Every Motorcyclist Needs to Know About Freedom 

"If your mom won't let you buy a bike..." Just had to make it personal huh? lol

as someone with high anxiety and panic dissorder, i bought my first bike this year and take my CBT this Sunday... even riding my lil 125cc in the garden gives me a feel of freedom, ive been locked inside my own head for way too long, and the shear joy and lack of fucks given when i start up that engine is amazing.. i'm enjoying your vids dude, keep it up :D xXx

"freedom isn't free will, it's will power" That's an incredible outlook!

"Freedom is real in the 5mm of glass that keeps a boy from running, and it's real in the 5,000 meters of attitude that keeps an old man from flying"... woah...

Motorcycling forces me to be present. I listen to the air as I whip through it, my whole mind and body are engaged. Even as I learn and make mistakes, I don't have the luxury of fear or anxiety, despite feeling the beginning of fear in a sketchy situation, I handle it and its past. The here and now is all that there is when I ride.

Motorcycles granted me freedom by giving me an inexpensive vehicle so I could travel more and have a hobby that I enjoy. Before motorcycles, commuting was far too expansive, much less travel. Now I can go out riding for eight or nine hours on a day off without batting an eye.

Freedom isn't just doing what you want to do; It's doing what you're afraid to do. Freedom isn't free will. It's will power. 'nuff said! :D

"Freedom isn't free will, it's willpower" That's a magnificent quote

_"Motorcycling is freedom . . . as long as you keep up with your payments."_ - Harley Davidson

I love this channel, I'm surprised it doesn't have a lot more subs

This was the video that convinced me to buy a bike 2 years ago. The line, "If you wanna buy a bike and your parents won't let you..." swayed me. I didn't ask them, I did my research, found some listings on Craigslist, and asked my dad for a second hand at inspecting it, and he even brought my pap along. It was a pivotal moment that opened my eyes to adulthood and independence.

I would tend to agree with you that we have been sold a lie: riding a motorcycle requres so much more preparation and caution than driving a car. Where's the "freedom" in that? In summer when its 38 degrees outside I can jump in the car wearing shorts and be on my way in seconds. On the bike it takes an uncomfortable time to get properly geared up - and then if I arrive somewhere I'm burdened by protective gear, helmet and so on. Much freer in a car, sadly. But I love motorcycles for many other reasons.

I think one of the biggest freedoms of motorcycling is the ability to just be in a moment, and to me that's what freedom is. There is the mental aspect, where our minds must focus on something and its something that is also enjoyable so it frees us from other stressors. The freedom is also a physical one. Our bikes our typically our 2nd vehicle, it is not a necessity, it gets good gas mileage, if it brakes we will fix it. This let's you peel away the "i have to go this way and get there now" mentality. It allows you to say, let's find out what's down this road; i think i'm going to turn my half hour commute into an hour and half today, because i want to. All the while you are not only mentally engaged in what you are doing, but physically. It's a great way to experience freedom.

"Freedom isn't free will, it's will power" Wise words my friend

While I tend to agree with what you're saying, That's not the way I connect freedom with motorcycling. I see motorcycling more as freedom from useless idle thought and stresses. Yes, while riding a motorcycle one has to apply more thought into their actions, but the focus that is needed really helps to erase (temporarily) all of the daily brain clutter. I ride a Harley, but Harley marketers don't have a clue of the reasons we love our bikes. I also ride a KX250 2 stroke, and even though it is an entirely different machine it does miracles in regards to the daily stresses of life!

When my first daughter was born - I sold my 21 year old LandCruiser ( I bought it as a 30th birthday present for myself). When the second followed her two years later - I gave up my R1200RT. Now I only have a 125cc scooter, but it gives me so much freedom within and outside city limits. Maybe it’s time to buy a small 250 or 400 dual sport as a companion? Girls are 11 and 13 now. The break was looooong enough.

Ryan, please try to point the helmet camera a little bit ahead, most of the time we are watching your tank and handlebars and just 2 meters of the road that's in front of you. Thanks in advance.

This dude literally creates the perfect atmosphere anywhere he goes.

THANK YOU! I just got back into riding after 20 years away and I came across this video and it inspired me. Freedom is relative, and personal, in how it's defined. Riding isn't always fun while riding, it can be anxious or unpleasant sometimes, but at the end of the day, rewarding(as long as no one got hurt). But pushing through the fear is a part of the exhilaration. I really appreciate what you said, thanks again

I really like your definition on freedom as a motorcyclist. It's a perspective that I haven't thought of before. I can understand the feeling of going against what your comfortable with and feeling free. Recently I did my first wheelie on a friends supermoto and had a blast, more fun than I've recently had riding my dirt bike in the trails. Anyway, awesome video! I'm not from Canada but I love this channel and all of the videos you've created and now I want to visit Canada!

Howdy RyanF9 , newbie to the channel and this has to be the best description... "What's on the other side of captivity" :) I could probably do an entire thesis on the concept. I had always been a sport speed demon, Isle of Man tt rider my whole life and now that I find myself living in Brazil, I purchased a '96 Honda Sahara NX350 and my whole definition of freedom has expanded in major ways. Thanks for clarifying what just happened for me.

I'd also have to say that, listening to you, freedom is a good education which nurtures creativity and critical thinking and that's a great thing. Because of that, people like you can inspire others to push past their boundaries and discover a different world. Kudos to you dude for doing this awesome channel.

As always, I appreciate listening to your perspective on things. You have a very logical and often different way of understanding or explaining things which I find interesting but it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that freedom isn't absolute rather it is relative and subjective to each individual. To me, my motorcycle grants me the physical freedom of mobility to do things that I can't do otherwise and in a setting that I can still fully experience - that's the freedom of two wheels to me. You have my sub, keep the videos coming!

That changing bike types thing is where I'm at. Felt trapped by my sports bike because it felt dangerous, unstable, uncomfortable, skittish, impractical. Got a cruiser and suddenly I love biking again, and I feel free again for the first time in years - free to just go anywhere, spend any amount of time on it. Changing bikes is freeing.

Love your vids. Gotta give you props for keepin up great moral through strenuous conditions

Love your honest, entertaining videos! I got my freedom/humility lesson in the South Grand Canyon ok camp ground. Arriving backfire sundown on my newish Goldwing, with a friend on the GS850G that had just bought from me and a farmer rode in on his little 175 Kawasaki with a milk crate wired on the back...he was off to see the Golden Gate Bridge...from Nebraska.

as a 14 year old boy with a minibike, i completely agree, i mean heck, cars are(though we all hate it) street legal, big, and more freeing in the sense that you have more reliable and more practical transportation. i don't need freedom to love a wide open throttle. nice philosophy, too. i love when there's meaning in motorcycle content, otherwise it gets shallow fast

You nailed this. The first time I rode a bike up into the hills where I live I felt like I was riding my own personal Pegasus into the sky. I was hooked.

i needed this video so much ... and i am not bored of you repeating the word freedom because it is freedom

Hey man. I really enjoyed this vid and it got me thinking. "Willpower is freedom", that resonated with me. But I also thought that freedom is more than will power. This thought led me to think that I see willpower as freedom because I value achievement, and willpower is essential in achieving anything significant. So I reckon freedom is the ability to express yourself without unreasonable consequence in way that brings you joy. For me on a motorbike that means exploring/camping and hitting the twisties. Generally being able to explore, improve and achieve makes me a happier person and helps me feel free. This can be done through work, my hobbies or with friends. Keep up the good work, I like your vids :)

I feel freeer driving a minivan with a bed in the back than my bike - the minivan has an 850 km range, so I'm freer from gas stops and its seats are way comfier, so I don't need as many stretch breaks. It also frees me from needing hotels or camping gear to set up, and it allows me to carry a minifridge, freeing me from restaurants. The blandness also lets me blend into suburbia, another freedom. The bike is more fun, not more free.

So, 7 years later, what resonates? For me, seeing this now in 2022, Freedom is on the other side of captivity. My giess is, most of us don't want to bthink or admit, that we are captives most of much of the time. The captivity is self inflicted by our choices. Thank you for your words.

I am learning such an incredible amount from you, Ryan. Thank you for all the info and for all the entertainment in the brilliant scripts and editing.

You got me emotional there! Awsome as always. thanks

This video is pretty simple but has incredibly essential stuff to know. I'm glad you did a bit of an abstract video and got the perfect pacing and humor right, as per usual :)

Great series Ryan, nice to see a local MTL'r vlogging. I just stumbled upon your videos recently. Keep it up brother. Looking forward to see more vids. Hope to see you on the road.

Thanks for sharing the ride, haven't been off-roading for some time. As for motorcycling, in general, being a portal to freedom, I suppose that's true sometimes. For me, there is nothing like the comforting feeling of control when I ride. I mean, when life gets to feel a bit overwhelming and you might just feel a little frustrated about things you may have limited control over, then, riding is cheap therapy and, in my humble opinion, the best therapy.

For me it's the realization that freedom is a state of mind and can be applied anywhere. Motorcycles & skateboards etc are just a great tool that help us explore our world in a faster/funner way with its own unique perspective

You should do a review on Your bike. And i would love to see You do reviews on any motorcycle.

Your point about freedom being on the other side of captivity or perceived captivity was so good. Also you are rhetorically really strong! 5 milimeters of glass hindering a boy to be free or 5000 miles of air hindering an old man to be free. Great point. And totally true. If you are held captive by work or other obligations and then experience a week of a motorcycle trip camping outside thats very freeing, but if u live like that, than you lose all contrast of what freedom really means, since you have an abundance of it..

Good stuff here Ryan, that's exactly why I bought the Scrambler; being locked on asphalt seemed dumb. Cheers!

Yup. Agreed. Nicely done.

@7:15 “Freedom isn’t what you want to do, it’s what you are afraid to do. Freedoms isn’t free will so much as it is willpower!” Preach brother!

I'm glad I found this channel.I like you dude, hoping for more vloggy type videos in the future.

I danced from one misfortune to another and wasn't able to get my first license, of any kind, until I was nearly 30 years old. No family, no friends, no funds for driver's ed. Freedom is being locked in a town sized cage with the illusion of being able to go anywhere, and finally being able to do so. It's breaking the 3 mph speed limit that's kept you locked in one place your whole life.

"Freedom isn't free will; it's will power." R.FN Excellent as always.👍 Thanks Ryan! Good job on your production value across the board too.

I definitely don't feel "free" when I'm out riding my bike but I do feel F'N AWESOME!

Yeah, I can relate to that. Learning to ride in the Swiss alps a decade ago, that borderline terror followed by the rush of success when I cornered without throwing myself off a mountain pass was an adrenaline rush that my rational mind interpreted as “freedom.” It’s a big part in why I continue to ride to this day.

I wanted to say a lot about freedom, but to cut it short, I really like this channel!

Just like visiting mountain or sailing on sea gives a perspective, so does motorcycling.

Riding a bike is a spontaneous act, it doesn't let you ruminate...keep riding to keep smiling!

Ya'll are so good. Thank you.

Good video. I rode the brakes off of a Yamaha enduro back in my younger days. Now at 62 years old, I'm coming back to adventure riding on a new Africa Twin. The Gold Wing is being left in the garage more and more these days, as I work to reclaim that old, off-road skillset. After many years, I've come to understand that the only freedom we truly have is the freedom to pick the master we will serve. It's in our nature to be a slave, even if that means being a slave to our own ambitions.

You have great videos! I saw a couple product reviews and was like ok but when I caught your motovlogging I was like oh yes great channel.

Ryan, I like what you said about freedom being on the other side of captivity, that may be the best way I've heard it put. I was raised in a rural setting and love the outdoors, but now I live in a large city in an apartment and stair out the window and daydream about wilderness. At 62 yrs. of age I still would like to straddle a decent two wheeler and join you for a day of off road fun. When I was 14/15, I was fortunate to have a couple of different two wheelers. First was a 1945? Cushman Highlander ( for a tank it was great!), second was a Hodaka 100 B+. Man I miss it! I really like your reviews, keep on keepin on! God bless ya real good!😎

Love your videos. Thanks for all the fantastic content Ryan :)

"For right now..." Riding is visceral and physical. It's here and now. It's focusing on performing with the bike under changing conditions. It's where you experience the sensation of flow.

"Freedom is doing what you're afraid to do. Its willpower." Well said young Ryan, and maybe its true. Who knows? I know it sounds good. Freedom is a lot of things, and nothing. It is a illusion we tell ourselves. Does saying it a lot make it so? Maybe. Does not saying it make it less so... The truest thing is what you said about it being on the other side of captivity. Because when your captive of something, anything, you can't be free. Sometimes, a lot of times, we are just a captive of our own minds. Or relationships. Of expectations. And there lies the glimmer of truth that riding a bike, or hiking a trail, or sailing a ship, or sking a slope, is freedom. Because it gives us a sense that we are in control of ourselves at that moment, living in that moment, and therefore, unchained, unbound from the things that we allow to bind us. Most of which is self made. Can one be free riding a bike? Sure. But one can be free doing anything when your in the correct mindset. Many people strive for that feeling, and only occasionally feel it. And just like that it can be gone. I'm getting ready to do something that is scary. If I do it will it make me free? Or will it just give me one more thing to worry about, take care of, maintain? Will the cost of ownership make me more free, or less. I'm not sure but if will be interesting to find out. Love your channel. And I haven't rode a motorcycle in 30 years.

‘Freedom’s just another name for nothing left to lose’

I see and feel freedom whenever I ride my dirt bike. I took my harley buddy out who has never been on a dirt bike. He had my son's KDX 220. He has been a motorcycle instructor for years so he's capable. But what he told me at the end of the day surprised me. He said he had to concentrate so much more on the dirt bike. I would have thought the opposite. Since i'm not much of a street bike guy, I thought he would have had to concentrate so much more on the street. So I guess his freedom level was less than mine on the dirt....

In my life Freedom is the topmost thing..Freedom is on one side, everything else on other. And motorcycle is definitely gives a sense of freedom for it's most part. But, on few occasions in the past I felt restricted by the motorcycle as in I can't think of going somewhere without it. On those occasions, I deliberately kept the motorcycle in garage for months and would use public transport, walk or other means to move. After all we are only captive of our own mind motorcycle or not.

I guess that is the most accurate definition of freedom, it is will power indeed. Dylan said that: nobody is free, even the birds are chained to the sky, because we do not do things only because we have free will. We do because we have will power.

Good video with some good words, great vid!

"Freedom isn't free will, it's will power". How true. I got into riding because I was afraid of it. I thought, "this will kill me...I should try it". Never looked back.

hey! that's where you shot the adventure 1290 review!

I’m 64 years old, been riding for well over 50 years, mostly dual sports. Local trails and back roads here in Michigan. The last 6 months I have been preparing for the Trans America Trail. My plan is to ride the eastern half this year, and the western half next year. Apprehensive? Reluctant? Maybe a little intimidated? You bet. Am I going to do it anyway? You bet.

We are not all created equal. We are not all equal. That’s just tough. Freedom is having the opportunity to make your own decisions and pursue your dreams. With freedom comes risk. Sometimes we exchange freedom for comfort or safety or the promise there of.

hey dude been watching your all videos all i wanna say is i just cant thank you enough

The building could very well be an old scale for weighing mining trucks. The scales parts and pieces are underground with an access hole next to it. I saw one at an old abandoned titanium mine in upstate New York once but it wasn’t covered like that which is weird.

Efe nueve nice video, at times I felt I was in a video game. Great little adventure!

"Its doin what your afraid to do. Freedom isn't freewill but willpower" nice one

You do excellent reviews. I understand why now. You have a philosophical take. I like this challenge. Freedom then can be pushing up against your self-imposed limitations. Or rebelling against restrictions imposed by others. (Harley philosophy. Riding defiantly past The Man.) Really enjoy your stuff.

"Freedom" as it is sold in the USA has come to represent: The capability to do, or refuse to do *anything you want to do* at any time. No obligations, no responsibilities. Nobody depending on you.

Remembering going on my first solo trip as a 16yearold, a 2000km trip with a Honda Varadero 125. That was life!

Brilliant commentary in this one kid... very true.

Dude, you’ve got the best motovlog on RU-vid 👍🏼

Simplest way I can think to put it: Motorcycling isn't freedom, in and of itself. It's simply the best way that I've so far found to experience and express the freedom that I so love to enjoy.

Ryan, you've gone deep on this subject but yeah I can't remember the last time I wanted to go exploring lanes in my car. I enjoy the freedom to ride a bike out in the fresh air and see where lanes go. Only turning the sat nav on when I feel I need to get somewhere directly.

I know this is an old video now, but I have to comment. I watch motorcycle videos about anything from two stroke dirt bikes, even though I've never owned a dirt bike, to street bikes. Moto-vlogs are the worst. Why would I want to hear someone ramble about nothing for 15 minutes while they ride around? But this was great. I wish more people included some thought provoking content in their cruising around vlogs. And the fact that it was on a fun trail that you were exploring rather than just riding around some generic town made it better too. Please keep it up. It's so refreshing, in this dumbed down society where people take pride in laziness and ignorance, when we evoke thought from each other.

Forgiveness is freedom. Find yourself is freedom. Accepting yourself is freedom. You achieve everything with your motorcycle. CC and Power are simply numbers.

i like how your tracks are already down and you hit the same line and act like its your first time you've definitely got better

You're the epitome of Canadian I can see you as a prime minister of Canada someday

Another great vid. Btw, just let u know i tried the visor anti-fog tip u shared in your previous vid, works like a charm! Stay awesome, Ryan :-)

“Freedom is not doing what you want; it’s doing what you are scared to do. It’s not free will, it’s will power.” An excellent discussion (even if it’s your opinion, I still agree with you). Freedom = willpower= discipline. It frees you up once you get all your jobs/chores/responsibilities completed. So hammer your jobs/tasks/niggling little annoying tasks. Then go ride! Haha ha ha ha ha When I’m hammering all the little jobs needed doing around the house (for example), it’s feels great(freedom) to hammer the jobs and execute and complete them. It’s discipline over your self and impulses. And now you become the owner of your life (control). Soon you become what you repeatedly do (stolen from Aristotle). Push your comfort zone..... Now get out and ride! Ha ha ha

Absolutely freedom is not achievable, but we can get closer to it Not being able to go anywhere is the lack of freedom, which makes being able to be anywhere freedom

"Freedom is willpower" The implication of this struck me deeply. Consider me motivated

BRAVO!!!!

When you are out on the bike, you have all the time in the world, you don't have to be anywhere, and you really really WANT to get completely lost, you have attained total freedom.

I want to complement the sentiment of this video by saying that while work and earning money can certainly be fun, and you can derive a lot of true confidence, satisfaction and pride from it - making a conscious effort to indulge in your favorite pastime is just as important. By indulge, I mean near enough drown. I love motorcycling, always have. But I also understand that the switch from duty to pleasure is important. Very few of us can escape the drudgery of fulfilling financial obligations, so we need our escapism. I get that from street / track riding. And through RyanF9 I might have a new favorite pastime in offroading... Interesting. Hmm.

Good trail, now I want to come ride up there. Gonna need an annual meeting and tour ride soon

Freedom is not free will, it's will power. this is golden

Its funny, i am so anxious before every ride, but that fear goes away when i am riding 😁

Didn't knew you could philosophize so well for a technical person!!

Wow, those are some deep philosophical thoughts...

Freedom isn't doing what you want to do, it's doing what your afraid to do....that's awesome.

Hi bud! Enjoy you vids, and its inspire me to made my own vlogs. How do you record your voice while riding?

Phenomenal. I think you have far more potential than you are aware of.

If I did wht you did here in germany where I live...Id be in jail already or at least paying a fine for leaving the street... Nice Video keep up the good work man! The Subs will come, you need more of them!

Great video!

Honesty rules thanks Ryan