Headless Riders

Some silly sod left a piano wire stretched at head height across the road at night. A motorcyclist lost his head as a result, but both body and bike continue a nightly search along lonely roads for head, or murderer, or both. Such is the story of the Kubinashi Rider of Japan. Never heard of that one? Perhaps you’re a Tim Burton fan and have seen his rendition of the famous Washington Irving short story set in a Sleepy Hollow. 

The headless rider is an enduring image, whether it be on horseback or motorcycle. There’s even a name for saints depicted holding their own heads (cephalaphore). The folklore of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and America are riddled with the damn things. Unfinished business after death drives these spectral riders on even after their capacity for cerebral activity has most definitely ended. 

Other than the Kubinashi Rider, I have not heard of riders who are not riding horses. The introduction of the motorcycle into this archetypal myth brings it screaming into the modern world. It preserves the solitude of the lonely rider, but with the bad-assery of motorcycles. Would it still be as effective a myth if the rider were on a moped? Or a bicycle? Probably not. There needs to be an element of cool-ness to it in order to elicit fear. Because these myths are only ever meant to elicit fear. No one is going to be afraid of a headless bike rider. Just push him off and steal his bike. Let’s not even get started on the headless Razer scooterers. 

What have we established? Mainly that horses and motorcycles are scary but moped, scooters, and bikes are not. And yet, I would love to see someone take up that challenge. Show me a story that would make Stephen King wet his sexist pants entitled: The Legend of the Headless Roller Blader.

[originally posted to Patreon on 9/5/25]