I’m heading to Vegas tomorrow for some long overdue track time on the bike. I highly recommend this hobby for a number of reasons.

1. It is bullshit free
The stopwatch doesn’t lie. You’re either fast or you’re not, and no amount of boasting on social media or in the pitlane will change that. You can also measure your progress very easily as a result. 

2. You learn self awareness
If your confidence exceeds your ability you will crash and it will probably hurt. A good thing to learn in general. 

3. You gain perspective
It’s easy to get wound up by trivial stuff in life. Start riding a motorcycle as fast as you can and you realize that as long as nobody gets hurt whatever it is, it’s probably not that big a deal. 

4. Inner peace
Contrary to popular belief track riding is a very zen experience — almost like a ballistic form of yoga — and you can’t ride well if you are not relaxed. I also have a very noisy mind full of chatter. That all disappears when you’re doing the length of a soccer pitch every 2 seconds. 

5. You learn to manage your emotions
Fear is part of riding. Getting faster means going out of your comfort zone. Unexpected, scary stuff can happen. Learning to stay calm is a very valuable skill. Also getting hot-headed or carried away is a recipe for disaster.

6. You feel like a god, even when you’re not
After a few laps you melt into the bike and it becomes a sort of omnipotent fifth limb. All that power available at the twist of the wrist — well it’s a lot of fun.

One final word of advice for anyone else into motorsports, bikes or sports cars. Always remember: the finish line is at home. xx

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