There are two kinds of rainy days in the UK.

The first is the sensible kind, where you accept defeat, make a brew, and watch the weather ruin someone else’s afternoon on the news. The second is the stubborn kind, where you suit up anyway and ride through it like a damp hero… only to spend the evening drying gloves on radiators and questioning your choices.

Either way, rainy days are perfect for one of motorcycling’s underrated pleasures: motorcycle stories. The films that make you want to ride. The books that remind you why riding matters. The documentaries that show what “two wheels” means in different cultures, eras, and corners of the world.

This is a curated list of the best motorcycle films, books, and documentaries for rainy days—ranging from classics and cult favourites to modern must-watches. Some are practical. Some are philosophical. Some are pure nonsense in the best way. All of them will scratch the itch when you can’t get out on the road.

Why motorcycle stories hit differently when you’re not riding

When you ride regularly, you don’t just love bikes. You love the idea of riding—freedom, movement, escape, attention, skill. When the weather keeps you indoors, that craving doesn’t vanish. It just shifts.

Motorcycle films and books give you a way back into that headspace. You can feel the road without leaving the sofa. You can remember why you started riding in the first place. And sometimes—if you’re honest—you can enjoy motorcycling without needing to get wet for it.

So let’s get into the good stuff.

The Best Motorcycle Films

1) The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)

If you’ve never seen this, fix that. It’s one of the most lovable motorcycling films ever made: a story of obsession, ingenuity, and the kind of quiet determination that makes you want to tinker in the garage immediately after the credits roll. It’s also a reminder that motorcycling isn’t only about riding—it’s about making something work because you believe it can.

It’s warm, funny, inspiring, and deeply human. Perfect rainy-day viewing.

2) Easy Rider (1969)

Yes, it’s iconic. Yes, it’s also a time capsule. And no, you don’t have to pretend it hasn’t aged in some ways. But Easy Rider still matters because it captured motorcycling as cultural rebellion and restless searching. It’s less about the plot and more about the mood: the open road as a symbol of freedom—and the cost of chasing it.

Watch it for the atmosphere, the soundtrack, and the fact that this film basically shaped how generations imagine “the motorcycle dream.”

3) Mad Max (1979)

The original Mad Max is dirtier, grittier and more grounded than the later films—yet it still feels like a fever dream of road violence and wild machines. The bikes are part of the world’s madness, not just props. It’s not a “motorcycle film” in a cosy sense, but it’s absolutely a film for riders who enjoy seeing motorcycles represented as dangerous, feral, and mythic.

It’s also a great reminder to appreciate your local roads… because things could always be worse.

4) TT3D: Closer to the Edge (2011)

If you want a motorcycle film that makes you feel something immediately, this is it. The Isle of Man TT is one of the most extraordinary, controversial, awe-inspiring events in motorsport. TT3D captures the madness and the beauty of it without turning it into shallow hype.

It will leave you respectful, unsettled, and weirdly inspired—often all at once.

5) On Any Sunday (1971)

This one is a proper classic and still one of the best “why we ride” films ever made. I watched this in about 1978. I was 6 years old, and my dad took me to watch it at his motorcycle club meeting. He rode trials bikes from when I was little, and he still owns his 200 Sealey Honda from the early 80’s.

I remember sitting in the memorial hall watching something very special that changed my life forever. It celebrates motorcycling as a sport, an obsession, and a joy in a way that’s timeless. Even if you don’t ride dirt or race, it gets the spirit of bikes: the pursuit of fun, skill, and community.

Put it on, and you’ll probably find yourself smiling at the screen like an idiot.

The Best Motorcycle Documentaries

1) Long Way Round / Long Way Down / Long Way Up

These series are the gateway drug for motorcycle travel documentaries. They’re not perfect, and they have a big-production feel at times, but they capture something real: the scale of travel, the friendships, the logistics, the grind, and the moments that make it all worthwhile.

They also show a key truth: even the “dream trip” includes mud, fatigue, breakdowns, and the occasional emotional wobble. That honesty is part of why people love them.

2) Faster (2003) / Fastest (2011)

If you like MotoGP or you just like watching elite riders do impossible things, these are a treat. They’re fast, slick, and full of personality, focusing on the psychology of competition as much as the racing.

They’re also great rainy-day fuel because they make you want to ride immediately—then you look outside, see the rain, and settle for a second coffee.

3) The Isle of Man TT: A Dangerous Addiction (2004)

TT3D is cinematic and stylish. Dangerous Addiction is more raw and documentary-like, giving a different angle on the TT’s pull and its consequences. It’s not a cosy watch, but it’s compelling because it tries to explain something that’s hard to explain: why riders keep coming back to something so risky.

If you want an honest, slightly uncomfortable deep dive, this is one.

4) Why We Ride (2013)

As the title suggests, this documentary is a love letter to motorcycling. It’s a broad, emotional exploration of what bikes mean to people—freedom, healing, identity, community. It’s the kind of watch that reminds you motorcycling isn’t just a hobby; for many riders, it’s a way of staying sane.

This one pairs nicely with a rainy day and a nostalgic mood.

5) Any of the great “ride a place” travel docs

Not all motorcycle documentaries are famous series. Some of the best rainy-day content is smaller travel filmmaking: riders exploring Morocco, Scotland, Iceland, the Alps, the Highlands, Wales, the Balkans—where the bike becomes the lens through which you see the landscape.

If you want this vibe, search for “motorcycle travel film” plus a location you love, and you’ll discover a whole world of passionate filmmakers doing beautiful work.

The Best Motorcycle Books

1) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig

My favourite motorcycle book of all time. And a book, along with Jupiter’s Travels, that has inspired me to write my own (watch this space). This is the book people reference even when they haven’t read it (and the book some people read and then argue about for the rest of their lives). It’s not really a “motorcycle book” in the way people expect. It’s philosophical, introspective, and deeply concerned with quality, meaning, and how we live.

But motorcycles are the frame. The road trip is the structure. And the act of maintaining—of caring, of understanding—becomes a metaphor for something bigger.

Rainy day? Perfect time to finally read it properly.

2) Jupiter’s Travels – Ted Simon

This is one of the great motorcycle travel classics. Ted Simon, riding around the world in the 1970s, is the kind of journey that feels both impossible and strangely close, because the writing is personal and honest. It’s not just a travelogue; it’s a portrait of a man moving through the world on two wheels, meeting people, reflecting, and changing.

If you’ve ever daydreamed about “one day I’ll do a big trip,” this book will either inspire you… or make you slightly restless.

3) Hell’s Angels – Hunter S. Thompson

Not a cosy one, but a fascinating one. This is Thompson embedded with the Hell’s Angels in the 1960s—more sociology and danger than riding romance. It’s useful because it reminds you that motorcycling culture has many faces, not all of them comfortable.

Read it for the insight into myth, identity, and group psychology more than for anything “motorcycle travel” related.

4) The Perfect Vehicle: What It Is About Motorcycles – Melissa Holbrook Pierson

This is one of the most underrated motorcycle books out there. It captures the emotional logic of riding—the why behind the obsession—with a thoughtful, human voice. It’s less about adventure and more about the everyday intimacy between rider and machine.

If you want a book that feels like someone finally put your feelings into coherent sentences, this is it.

5) One Man Caravan – Robert Edison Fulton Jr.

A classic early motorcycle travel narrative from the 1930s, when travelling by motorbike was a different kind of challenge altogether. It’s fascinating because it shows how motorcycling has always been tied to exploration, endurance, and curiosity—long before modern gear made it easier.

It’s also a reminder that riders have always been slightly mad, just in different ways.

Bonus: The “quick-hit” rainy day bike reading list

If you want shorter, magazine-style hits rather than big books, rainy days are ideal for:
reading classic motorcycle journalism, browsing long-form ride reports, or diving into workshop/repair memoirs and build diaries. There’s something deeply satisfying about reading someone else’s restoration story while your own bike sits outside, dry and innocent, pretending it’s never caused trouble.

How to choose what to watch or read (based on your mood)

If you want inspiration, go with Long Way Round, On Any Sunday, Jupiter’s Travels, or Why We Ride.

If you want adrenaline and intensity, go with TT3D, Fastest, Faster, or Mad Max.

If you want something thoughtful and reflective, go with Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance or The Perfect Vehicle.

If you want classic mythology, go with Easy Rider.

And if you want something that makes you feel grateful you’re on the sofa and not in the middle of the desert with a broken clutch cable, pick any travel doc and enjoy the comfort of being warm.

Conclusion: rainy days don’t have to be “no-bike” days

Rain might stop you from riding, but it doesn’t stop you from being a rider. Motorcycle films, books, and documentaries are part of the culture—part of the obsession—part of the reason we fall in love with bikes in the first place.

So when the weather shuts down the roads, lean into it. Watch something that makes you want to ride. Read something that reminds you why bikes matter. Let someone else’s story keep the engine running in your head.

Then when the skies clear, you’ll go out with a grin… and probably take the long way home.