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Its win-lose time these days. Almost all the time. And the stakes are always high, getting higher in fact, in the mind at least. The prime-mover being the urge for ‘exclusivity ’….being ‘different’. Either I am exclusive enough to be noted and admired by the majority (and all apart from the holy ‘me’ constitutes the majority) or I am just a pitiable social appendage. There is this almost primeval urge to get ‘better’ and ‘better’. Television gets real-time close-ups and anatomical autopsies of extreme excellence right at one’s doorstep. And reinforces the urge to emulate. To at least strive to attain that excellence. Mediocrity is almost a crime. (I can at least think like Rossi would…and that already makes me good at riding, doesn’t it?) Rossi’s 300 bhp crotch rocket and my little 20 bhp roadster suddenly appear to have a LOT in common. The ability to recognize this commonality is the first step towards ‘holy exclusivity’. Both have tyres (just how do I get max. grip here laddie? Soft compounds? Warm tyres?). Both have throttles (I so l-o-v-e to rip ‘er). Both lean into turns (I just gotta learn to get that knee down y’know) and so on. Of course there are commonalities. Because both are motorcycles. But then aren’t I and Bruce Lee both men? Aren’t the Nilgiris and the Himalayas both mountain ranges?
Equating my biking needs with Rossi’s is not about the urge to learn. In fact there’s a lot more to learn before I can begin to take lessons from the level riders like Rossi operate at. But the ‘equation’ shows my ‘deep understanding’ of motorcycling skills (pun intended). And a few knowledge-revealing snippets picked up from TV shows and auto-mags get thrown in for good. Its win-lose even in admitting who I emulate or learn from. The similarities are conveniently and selectively lapped up while the glaring and critical differences in scale, skill and situation are ignored. Sacrificed on the mandatory altar of ‘being the best of the best-at least’. Ambition is omni-present, right from chasing those zero’s in my bank balance to my speed through a turn.
Can’t something be done just for the sake of doing it? Is it really so that everything HAS to be done with an ‘AIM’? And does that aim always have to be ‘TO BE BETTER THAN THOSE AROUND ME’? Is being adequate such a heinous, disgusting crime? Why is being able to do something ‘just well enough to be able to enjoy it and no more’ so despicable? So lowly? C’mon, if we don’t have race-tracks to practice getting that knee down on a curve, is it REALLY so important to be able to do it that we risk our necks and those of others on public roads to do it? Is ‘not getting that knee down’ so unthinkable that we are willing to put our entire motorcycling lives at stake to do it? Just what will happen if you are unable to take a curve on a bike any faster than say 60 kph for the rest of your riding life? I know, I know…every Tom Dick and Harry can take curves at 60. How am I gonna be better than them? And different?
Can we ever muster enough courage and sense to choose NOT to be manipulated by what we think others might be thinking of us? Can we ever be free of these perceived opinions of others about us? The opinions that we want to ascertain always express awe and admiration for our actions.Think….especially think if a mere opinion is worth a busted limb, shattered confidence, grounded bike and a full-stop to motorcycling. A sizeable chunk of young motorcycling enthusiasts ride around for a few years, get married, raise a family and then, intentionally or not, move on to cars. Those years spent riding around on two wheels become a fond memory. Enjoy it while you’re at it. Don’t waste it chasing phantom excellence. The fun is in experiencing motorcycling for what it is rather than unthinkingly chasing those ‘at par with the best skills set’. Being an adequately skilled rider is not something to be embarrassed about. Don’t get pushed into biting more than you need to chew by this culture where excess is admired. Only a tiny minuscule minority of those riding bikes will 'need' speed to make something of their riding lives and they are/will be the ones who go professional as competitors. For the rest of us, just being able to ride well and safe is more than enough.
Read these words by a WW1 veteran, Farrar Burn, someone who had seen inexpressible pain, death and destruction in the win – lose game. "I guess we'll be amateurs at everything until we die, (but) you know a man can't have any more than this. The earth, this sea, a beach, food, companionship. This is all any man can get." Add motorcycles to the list and live it….!
OF
Equating my biking needs with Rossi’s is not about the urge to learn. In fact there’s a lot more to learn before I can begin to take lessons from the level riders like Rossi operate at. But the ‘equation’ shows my ‘deep understanding’ of motorcycling skills (pun intended). And a few knowledge-revealing snippets picked up from TV shows and auto-mags get thrown in for good. Its win-lose even in admitting who I emulate or learn from. The similarities are conveniently and selectively lapped up while the glaring and critical differences in scale, skill and situation are ignored. Sacrificed on the mandatory altar of ‘being the best of the best-at least’. Ambition is omni-present, right from chasing those zero’s in my bank balance to my speed through a turn.
Can’t something be done just for the sake of doing it? Is it really so that everything HAS to be done with an ‘AIM’? And does that aim always have to be ‘TO BE BETTER THAN THOSE AROUND ME’? Is being adequate such a heinous, disgusting crime? Why is being able to do something ‘just well enough to be able to enjoy it and no more’ so despicable? So lowly? C’mon, if we don’t have race-tracks to practice getting that knee down on a curve, is it REALLY so important to be able to do it that we risk our necks and those of others on public roads to do it? Is ‘not getting that knee down’ so unthinkable that we are willing to put our entire motorcycling lives at stake to do it? Just what will happen if you are unable to take a curve on a bike any faster than say 60 kph for the rest of your riding life? I know, I know…every Tom Dick and Harry can take curves at 60. How am I gonna be better than them? And different?
Can we ever muster enough courage and sense to choose NOT to be manipulated by what we think others might be thinking of us? Can we ever be free of these perceived opinions of others about us? The opinions that we want to ascertain always express awe and admiration for our actions.Think….especially think if a mere opinion is worth a busted limb, shattered confidence, grounded bike and a full-stop to motorcycling. A sizeable chunk of young motorcycling enthusiasts ride around for a few years, get married, raise a family and then, intentionally or not, move on to cars. Those years spent riding around on two wheels become a fond memory. Enjoy it while you’re at it. Don’t waste it chasing phantom excellence. The fun is in experiencing motorcycling for what it is rather than unthinkingly chasing those ‘at par with the best skills set’. Being an adequately skilled rider is not something to be embarrassed about. Don’t get pushed into biting more than you need to chew by this culture where excess is admired. Only a tiny minuscule minority of those riding bikes will 'need' speed to make something of their riding lives and they are/will be the ones who go professional as competitors. For the rest of us, just being able to ride well and safe is more than enough.
Read these words by a WW1 veteran, Farrar Burn, someone who had seen inexpressible pain, death and destruction in the win – lose game. "I guess we'll be amateurs at everything until we die, (but) you know a man can't have any more than this. The earth, this sea, a beach, food, companionship. This is all any man can get." Add motorcycles to the list and live it….!
OF
...... But where is the fun in risking somebody elses' life....... Its better late than never.......
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