Since I got back on a motorbike for the first time in 2016 after a long break, I have covered a lot of kilometres - sometimes more than 20,000 km a year. Looking back, that's not a number I'm proud of, because a not insignificant part of it came from supposedly avoidable trips. I am deliberately excluding larger trips such as our trips to Scotland, Sardinia or the Dolomites. The main motivation for these trips was clear: to discover new places together with my partner or friends, to experience other cultures and simply to enjoy the riding.
But as I said, I also spent a lot of additional time on the bike. While my girlfriend, who has also started riding herself a couple years ago, always looks for a purpose in riding a motorbike (for example, visiting friends and relatives), that doesn't seem to be the case with me. I can (or could) just ride the same route for the 20th time in the season. Only the "consumption" of many podcasts and the reading of a few books showed me a new perspective, which slowly led me to the reason why this is the case with me.
Eyes on the apex
The easiest way to explain this is to look at a hobby that I have now largely given up: Trackdays. When riding on the track, you are absolutely one with your machine and inevitably fully focused. Any mistake can be punished, whether financially, health-wise or through bad lap times. For me, there is currently almost no example that describes this flow state better (well, activities like a boss fight in the video game Elden Ring or playing a concert with my band come pretty close).
My girlfriend never fully understood why I could ride in circles for hours on the same track. Now I can finally explain it. In the optimal flow state (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), you engage in an activity that you enjoy doing. One gives oneself completely to this activity without allowing oneself to be distracted. It challenges you without being too demanding. One thus has the feeling that one is in control, which manifests itself in self-confidence and competence. The fact that you sometimes lose track of time becomes apparent at the latest when you return to the pit at the end of a "turn" and are completely exhausted. Even if it's not about the ranking in the competition, the hunt for better personal lap times or for the perfect apex visualises this approach perfectly in my opinion.
If you set yourself realistic goals when riding and don't compare yourself to the superhuman professional racers out there, this adrenaline rush also gives you incredible satisfaction... if it weren't for the high cost and the implication that you are wasting natural resources in the process. But I don't want to point fingers, I'll leave it to everyone to judge for themselves.
The road is not a race track
Back on the road, I inevitably have to ask myself again why I develop a similar feeling when I am on public roads. While my girlfriend likes to look around in the landscape and discover the cutest animals on the side of the road, my gaze is usually firmly fixed on the road. Sure, I scan possible obstacles and dangers every split second, but my main focus is on the stretch of road ahead and how I can ride through it with as nice a flow as possible.
Don't worry: I know that kneedowns and excessive speeds have no place on the road. But I just like it when you can ride through curves with a nice flow. However, I have to admit that lately I have found myself getting too excited about slow road users or making overtaking manoeuvres that, although not dangerous, may not always be expected by other road users. "The road is not a race track", I have to keep telling myself..
And as I write this, something else comes to mind. The well-known philosopher Seneca established many interesting doctrines during his lifetime, which are still relevant today. One of Seneca's central teachings was Stoicism and control (OpenAi, 2023a). In the Stoic tradition, a distinction is made between things we can control (our actions, judgements and desires) and those we cannot (external events, the opinions of others, etc.). Seneca advocated focusing on what we can control, especially our reactions to events, rather than getting upset about things that are out of our control.
In terms of traffic, it is safe to say that one should be more patient or simply avoid the uncontrollable factors. For example, it simply doesn't make sense to take the popular pass roads such as Susten and Co. under your wheels during the daytime at the weekend. For the commute to work, it can make sense to take a side road with less traffic and spend five minutes longer on the road. This way you reduce the stress factor.
"Be Water, my friend" - Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee believed that one should always be flexible, adaptable and unbiased. (OpenAI, 2023b). I, too, would like to make an effort to live more in a flow and to look at things from a different perspective.
For example, if I expect motorcyclists to be tolerated in the future, I have to behave accordingly. For me, this means that I will henceforth design my tours more consciously and enjoy them to the fullest without falling into excess. And ultimately, I also want to invest my flow energy more in projects that also bring joy to other people. Whether that's at work or, for example, in the context of my band - the possibilities for getting into a flow state are many and varied.
If you want to learn more about this, I highly recommend reading Limitless by Jim Kwik. You learn a lot more in this book. For example, many interesting learning techniques or why it is not always so easy to reach the flow state and why there are super villains just waiting to break it (Kwik, 2020).
How does this look to you? Can you understand where the passion in motorcycling comes from?
Sources:
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.
Kwik, Jim. (2020). Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life. Hay House Inc.
OpenAI. (2023a). Comprehensive overview of Seneca's teachings. ChatGPT.
OpenAI. (2023b). Interpretation von Bruce Lees "Be like water, my friend". ChatGPT.
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