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Wendy from Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson reminds me that July 16 is National Ride to Work Day.

This is an event that serves several purposes: It’s an incentive for folks to get the bike out of the garage on a weekday and use it for a practical purpose; it conserves some of that $4.50 gas that we all hate paying for; and if enough people participate, it makes car drivers more aware of motorcycles.

To encourage folks to participate, Mitchell’s will be open to 8 p.m. that day, and will have a barbecue. If you can prove that you commute on your motorcycle, they will top off your oil as well, according to Wendy.

Of course, if you are a diligent motorcyclist, you make sure your oil level is good to start with, but I digress….

I try to commute on a motorcycle whenever I can (I tweaked my back a week ago, so I’m cage-bound for the time being) but I have heard two schools of thought on the matter.

One says that a rider should use the bike as much as possible – to work, running errands, weekend jaunts, longer vacations. It hones skills, prevents rust from forming on the brain and keeps the rider used to, if not comfortable, with urban riding.

The other school says to avoid daily city driving, because the risks of motorcycling are multiplied. The rider is surrounded by inattentive commuters eating Egg McMuffins and spilling coffee in their laps (they’ve all put away their cell phones, right?); and the number of opportunities for drivers to turn in front of a motorcycle are infinitely larger than on a rural jaunt (intersections, driveways, wacky u-turns…).

I’m conflicted on the issue. I understand the argument about the greater risks. A rider can practice a lot of defensive driving techniques to reduce the risk, but if a car driver is determined to do something stupid and unpredictable, your luck may run out.

But I continue to commute, for one reason: riding is fun. It’s a little shot of adrenaline at the beginning and close of the work day. It forces you to be attentive and focused, while car driving seems to do the opposite for many people. The gas mileage is just a bonus.

See you on the road.