Valentine’s Day is closing in! Whether you ride and your partner doesn’t, or you both ride or your partner rides and you don’t (and they sent this to you as a subtle hint), some of us could use some help brainstorming. So I’m here to give you a list of things that I -as a Motorcyclists- would find thoughtful and romantic.
1. GAS CARD
This is pretty much the MOST romantic thing you can give a person in my opinion.
I might be a little biased as someone who eats up a lot of miles. But this is essentially a Free Ticket to ride. Plus motorcycles being very fuel efficient means that if you get them like a $20 Gas Card that equals roughly 200 miles could be a little more or a little less depending on their gas mileage and gas prices where you live. But if you were feeling more generous, for example I normally budget about $150 for my trip home to Montana and Back which ends up being about 1k miles, that would be an incredible gift. Especially if you don’t ride but your partner does, this is also saying
“I love you, and I want you to do the thing that makes you happy, without worrying about gas money.”
Pictured: Wolfman Luggage 303 Small Rolie Bag
2. LUGGAGE
This one requires a little bit of knowledge of what your partner needs/wants for their bike. But just for an example, when I first started riding I had saddlebags but no tank bag. Jonathan (my S.O.) bought me a Tank Bag and I used the piss out of it for a solid year and guess what, I thought about him every time I took a trip on the bike, because he gave me that tank bag.
If you still need an idea though, I don’t know any ADV, Dual Sport, or Dirt Bike Rider alive that wouldn’t be able to find a place for another Water Bottle Holster.
3. GIVE THEIR BIKE A BATH
This requires a lot of trust from your partner. A lot of motorcyclists are very protective of their paint. If your partner has a Dirt Bike or Dual Sport this is a lot easier, just washing the dirt off will put you on the sweetheart list.
My quick tips for you if you’ve never washed a motorcycle before do some research, read this first. Also: Don’t use car cleaner. Don’t wash a bike if it’s still hot. Don’t use a pressure hose. DO use the two bucket method so you’re not scrubbing dirt into the pain and scratching it more.
4. GIFT CARD TO REVZILLA
or the local Dealership
I know this doesn’t sound original, but if you roll it up in a tool roll or something, ya know work on your presentation, I would cry flippin’ happy tears.
All motorcycles need maintenance. That means Tires, Oil Changes, Chain Maintenance. That adds up freakin’ fast. It’s not a good idea to buy someone new tires or oil unless you know EXACTLY what their bike needs and what kind of tires they want. So the next best thing is to get them a gift card so when that regular maintenance comes up that oil filter, oil or chain lube isn’t coming out of their pocket for once.
Believe me it’s a lot more romantic than it sounds. It’s like:
Hey, I like you, I want your bike to keep running safely so you don’t die.
That’s pretty romantic.
5. A Riding in the Cold Kit
If your loved one rides in the cold, you can actually make a pretty inexpensive riding in the cold kit that still shows them you care without breaking the bank.
You could get some :
Anti fog wipes for their face shield
Hand warmers (or better yet a Rechargeable Hand Warmer)
Merino Wool Buff for their neck
maybe some thick ski socks, or merino socks. (Men’s | Women’s)
Or if you have a little more to spend, and they don’t already have them, Heated Grips are pretty universal and also an incredible game changer, you just need to know whether their bars are 7/8th or 1”. Or Hippo Hands! Have I mentioned Hippo Hands lately? They’re pretty awesome.
In all seriousness, try to remember that the best gift you can give a loved one is your undivided attention. Time together can never be replaced with physical gifts. Plan to spend the day together doing something you both love to do. Try and spend more time talking to each other than looking at your phone.