When you like riding motorcycles and like having a tall, cold beer on a hot day, it is tempting to mix the two - even though we know better. In the United States, temptation is in our DNA. We live in the land of more. Advertising has been pushing "more is better" into us since we were old enough to talk. We've seen so many images of cold beer, hot women, and good times we are primed to order that beer when we are in situations like we see in the ads.
After a good ride on a hot day with miles to go before days end, it is tempting to have something more, something good, something more than ice tea or a Coke. "It's Miller time!" urges us, along with "go for the gusto!" (if you remember that advertising slogan) or "just one won't hurt," to go ahead and order that beer. We know better. We've heard it in motorcycle safety classes. We've read it in motorcycle magazines. But instead of listening to Jiminy Cricket on our shoulder telling us "don't be a fool, stick with the ice tea," we're thinking - "It'll relax me for the ride home. I've only got a few more miles to ride. One beer won't make a difference. Everybody else is having one. That is going to taste great! I know my limits, I'll adjust my riding accordingly."
In addition to those rationalizations, there's also -- "I'll have an energy drink!! That'll get me home safe!!" We see their advertisements at motorcycle races. Monster Energy Drinks like M-80 and Heavy Metal. Red Bull. Rockstar. Full Throttle. The mental association they are pushing is that motorcycling and energy drinks go together. "So motorcycling plus an energy drink plus a beer (or maybe two or three thanks to the energy drink) and I'll be good to go!" Not so fast, cowboy.
Those energy drinks don't offset the effects of alcohol on perception time, reaction time, and judgment. They may have anywhere from 80 to 160 mg of caffeine or more, as much as 240 mg in some cases. A 12 oz. Coke has 35 mg of caffeine. All that caffeine can offset the drowsiness caused by alcohol but drowsiness is not the only effect on the brain and its ability to get you and your motorcycle home safely. We use the sense of drowsiness caused by alcohol to assess our level of impairment. When massive doses of caffeine take that drowsiness away, our ability to assess our level of impairment is reduced and we are likely to underestimate the extent to which one or more drinks have affected our ability to ride safely.
When we mix energy drinks and alcohol, we tend to drink more. When you take decreased perception and reaction time, and mix that with impaired judgment and the likely effect of massive caffeine on what the right wrist wants to do with the throttle, that ride home could go bad in ways our mothers, fathers, and loved ones don't want to know.
People who mix energy drinks are more likely to drive after drinking. They are more likely to underestimate their level of intoxication and mental impairment. And they are more likely to overestimate their ability to drive home safely.
When the day's ride is not yet over, you're sitting at a table, relaxed, and are tempted by a tall cold one, take a pass. Hold off on the beer until you're home safe, wherever "home" happens to be that night. Live to ride another day.
Leave a comment