FOCUSING ON THE RIDING GAME

Throughout the history of humanity, we have been racing with each other and ourselves by inventing games that push our limits.

When we were born and raised, we tested our bodies and world with small and big games to learn about reality, rules and abilities.

We played everywhere and, in all conditions, to please the Gods or to search for glory, but we never played for simple entertainment purposes.

Yes, we had fun while playing, especially if we were winning…. But having fun has never been the primary goal.

Playing has been the best way to know our bodies and minds throughout history. It has helped us recognize our strengths and weaknesses, to learn the basic skills and virtues that keep us alive.

Let’s ask ourselves these questions:

• Do we use motorcycles for transportation only? Is motorcycling part of our professional life?
• What does it mean to be a good rider? What is the ultimate goal for becoming a good rider, and how does it impact the lives of others? How can the “motorcycle game” teach us how to live, push our limits, reach perfection, and get to know body and mind?
• What do we think while riding? And what is the feeling? What is our purpose in being on the road? What are the goals that will make us who we are? Why are we riding? What kind of vehicle can a motorcycle be when pushing our physical or mental limits?
• The motorcycle game can be played in complete privacy against a single opponent. The goal is to finish the game in one piece as we start. What skills and knowledge will keep us alive in this pursuit of excellence?
• The essence of perfect riding in harmony. It’s not about speed; it’s about seeing and feeling that the rider and the machine are one. It’s about controlling everything (machine, environment, and ourselves). Therefore, it is necessary to develop motor skills through conscious practice and to use the motorcycle as a part of the body in a focused way. What are the virtues required to achieve this consciousness?
• How can Curiosity, Patience, Perception of Danger, Fear, Humility, Discipline, Dedication, Confidence, and Applying Knowledge help us in this game?

FOCUS ON THE GAME

Like any sport that deserves to be done well, motorcycle riding requires being in the flow. The prerequisite for entering the flow is a piece of specific knowledge and focus on the relevant subject.

“Why am I riding?” As one answers, one begins to see new horizons about riding unfolding. Different feelings, emotions and sensations take us to the consideration of “power”, “controlling power”, and “realising limits, going beyond them”. We play this game to get to know ourselves.

As every game/sport deserves different physical and mental abilities, it is necessary to have many virtues to do that sport. But in addition, the indispensable condition of success is to focus on the work done.

We need time to focus on our preparations before turning on the throttle and the bike wheels. The routes we plan before going on a long adventure, the checks we make to see if the motorcycle is suitable and ready for riding, the effort we spend wearing our protective equipment to ensure passive safety. Pre-ride opportunities that will always focus us on riding:

• Prepare the ride by preparing the road with the difficulties, joy, and opportunities offered by the itinerary and the map.
• Prepare the bike with periodic maintenance and daily visual inspections.
• Preparing your muscles and brain for riding
• When you sit on the seat and hit the starter, enter in the flow that makes the experience smooth and relaxed, providing a real sense of success.

Riding motorcycles is a sport and, like any sport, a game. The essence of playing this game properly and being successful is to focus primarily on the work done.

Focus starts from the preparation phase and should continue throughout the activity. The biggest enemy of focus is interruptions.

In this process, we must avoid thoughts and tools that will cause an interruption to focus and flow. Instead, we should focus on riding as much as possible, avoiding distractions such as phones, music, GPS, intercom, and over-loaded dashboards.

Talking to ourselves during the ride, predicting the dangers that may come, and telling ourselves about them and the precautions we will take inside the helmet allow us to keep focused.

We can also find some new small games in the riding phase: Can we finish braking and shifting before cornering and turning the corners smoothly? Can we reduce the number of scenarios for changing the speed and direction of the motorcycle? How wide an angle can we scan to accept the information we collect into our riding plan? These and similar games will always be opportunities to keep us in the flow while riding.

This focus makes winning in the game and returning home safely possible. So, what should be the riding virtues that we need to focus on and reveal? How can we use the virtues of riding in the steps we will take on the path of “self-knowledge”?

Note: Some of the ideas in the article are inspired by the documentary “Human Playground.”