World Motorcycle Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on June 21st and celebrates not only motorcycles but also the lifestyle associated with this mode of transportation. Ever since their invention, motorcycles have represented the freedom of the open road. And when you think about it, that makes a lot of sense.

After all, motorcycles can take people anywhere there’s a road, street, highway, or freeway. All a rider has to do is jump on and head to their next destination. Anyone and everyone who has an affection for these vehicles might want to take this day to celebrate the motorcycle and what it represents.

The History of World Motorcycle Day

There is no single event that we can pinpoint that indicates when this holiday was first observed or who invented it. So many different motorcycle organizations have claimed to have invented it, we couldn’t possibly decide who actually did.

There is one Italian motorcycle group called Motociclisti Senza Frontiere that organized a World Motorcycle Day in 2008, and that may be one of the first celebrations of this holiday, but we’re not entirely sure. What we do know is that the first motorcycle was invented by Pierre Michaux in 1867.

This French inventor attached a small steam engine to a wooden bicycle frame to create his invention. This was eventually made obsolete by the introduction of gasoline-powered motorcycles during the early 20th century. One of the first “true motorcycles” was created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1885.

Observing World Motorcycle Day

All a person has to do to celebrate World Motorcycle Day is to love motorcycles. They don’t even have to own one because they can use the holiday to learn more about motorcycles, by watching motorcycle racing events, or even by buying their first motorcycle.

People who already own one of these bikes can also use this day to go for a joyride. Before they do that, however, they should let everyone see what their bike looks like by posting it on social media using the hashtag #WorldMotorcycleDay.