Heathers Draggin' on the Dragon! - Girl rider!

This Tail of The Dragon in NC.  The curves are crazy as hell.  It takes heart to ride this tail as they call it and this is a female doing the damn thing.  The women are really getting it in on these sportbikes.  Too bad it was just clips, can you image if it was actually footage as they were riding in the tail?  Well enjoy Heather she's doing it real big. 

Top Motocross Psychology Tips For Entering The Zone: Take It From The Pro's by Dr. Patrick J. Cohn

For those that love to race we have not forgotten about you at Biker-Space.  Here is an article on how to handle and prepare for a motocross race.  Enjoy!

On the start line, you were so confident that day, you believed no one could race with you. On the track, racing felt effortless and smooth. You were in the flow on every jump, bump, and turn. Your rhythm was perfect in the whoops. Every section of the track was executed just as you saw in your mind. Your mind was so immersed into racing each section--one at a time--that you were oblivious to other racers. Today you were not checking to see who was behind you. 

Your motorcycle responded with ease to every thought—it felt like an extension of you. The feeling of being in complete control of yourself and your emotions was awesome. It was so fun to race the track just as you have envisioned in your mind. Only after the moto did you realize that you raced the moto of your life and found an elusive state of peak performance called “the zone".

 

Nothing is more exciting for athletes than performing in the zone. The zone is a peak performance state in which the mental, physical, and strategic parts of racing come together at once. When racing in the zone and going fast with ease, motocross is fun, immensely satisfying, and feels second nature. To get into a zone state, you must be focused on the task, very self-confident, race with trust and composure, and be decisive with your race plan. In this article, I will discuss the mindset of racers when in the peak performance zone.

“You can have a good bike and have all the talent in the world, but if you don't believe in yourself and know that you can win, you will have a hard time at the races.” – Ricky Carmichael

Confidence is the first mental tool to entering the zone. You cannot race your best without a high level of self-confidence. You know the confident type—the James Stewarts of the Motocross world who have a total conviction and belief in their ability. Most racer’s confidence comes from success and winning, but how will you get onto the podium if you do not first believe you can win? Too many racers doubt their ability to race up front right at the wrong time. I teach racers to take responsibility for their confidence by fueling their confidence and teaching them how to battle those malicious doubts that pop into a racer’s mind at the wrong time.

“I try to visualize the entire race beforehand. As the actual races get closer at hand, I start to focus more specifically on the start.” – Rick Johnson

The second mental tool to getting into the zone is your ability focus the mind in the present moment, the so-called here and now. Most racers can concentrate, but may not focus on the right areas. Racing the track one section at a time and not getting ahead of yourself is the foundation of a zone focus. You can’t make yourself get in the zone, but you can train your mind to focus on the right areas so you are dialed in when the gate drops. In addition, coping with distractions are part of racing. The racer who learns how to ignore the distractions and focus on the task will beat most racers who get distracted.

The third mental tool to entering the zone is a racer’s ability to get into a “flow” on race day. Ricky Carmichael has a great work ethic and trains hard, but to win he must be able to rely on his training and get into a rhythm on race day. Some racers ruin their rhythm by trying too hard or forcing it on race day. The ability to perform effortlessly and trust your instincts is the foundation for getting into a zone state. My motocross students call this feeling as being “in the flow,” “in a rhythm,” “just reacting,” or “automatic.” You must be able to trust your practice and ability on race day do you can “just do it” and react to the track.

“Don’t try to blast your way around the track. Find a nice pace and stay with it. Relax. When you are nervous, your arms tend to pump up.” – Jeremy McGrath

In pressure situations or in national events, the tendency is to tighten up, try too hard, and not trust you ability. Focusing too much on clutch release or body position for example upsets the natural rhythm and flow of riding because you are consciously forcing it and not letting it happen. This bogs down timing and throws off your natural rhythm. The purpose of practice is to make it feel reflexive when you perform on the track. When you race, let your instincts, built on a ton of practice, take over.

The fourth mental tool is composure. When performing in the zone, racers feel very much in control of themselves and thus their performance. Sports require a balanced emotional level. The key is to be excited to race but not over excited, intense but not too intense, ready to race, but not overanxious to race, and feel challenged but not anxious. Feeling pumped and excited can help you race better, but fear and anxiety ruin your mindset. I help my students find the balance between feeling excited and being over excited.

“Only race because you love it. Race because you can express yourself. Race because it's the most fun thing you can do!” – Rick Johnson

Lastly, you have to have fun with your racing to get into the zone. How could racing not be fun you ask? One way is if you put too much pressure on yourself to win or get on the podium. Another way is if you feel expectations from others such as your parents or manufacturers to win. These can cause fear, trying too hard, doubt, and tension, all mental breakdowns that will prevent you from entering the zone. Approach each moto like a fun game because you love the feeling of hitting that jump just right or hauling around a corner and you will be more likely to find your flow on race day.

Why Do Bikers Dress The Way They Do? By Tyler Powers

Most motorcycle riders wear leather – lots of leather. Boots, chaps, vests, gloves, chain wallets, and leather jackets. The reason behind all this leather is not for looks, and it's not to appear threatening. It's all about protection!

There is protection from weather provided by leather. Riding in cool weather gets very cold when you are moving at 55 miles per hour. Even the gentle Florida winter requires protection from winter weather. In fact, I would never know that was Becki getting ready to ride the Toy Run if I didn't recognize the motorcycle! Weather isn't the only issue, however.

True bikers dress to protect themselves in a fall rather than dressing just for the ride. Accidents do happen. You may have to drop a bike to avoid being hit by a car. You may experience a front blow out and lose control. It is possible that even the most experienced rider can drop a bike. I've had to CHOOSE to drop a bike to avoid being run over by a car. The bike and I both survived. I didn't even get road rash since I was wearing leather! I also chose where to drop the bike so it wasn't damaged except for a paint ding.

Bikers learn from experience, both theirs and others. When you see someone who chose to ride in shorts and tee-shirt come in covered with road rash, you know that riding that way is not wise. They dressed for the summer ride and failed to dress for the fall which happened.

That explains the leather jackets and chaps. But why the chain wallets? Motorcycles vibrate somewhat. You climb on and off them. This places stress on the back pocket where a wallet would be carried. Over time, the wallet can drop out unnoticed and not only is money lost, but ID, proof of insurance, credit cards lots of valuable things that take time and trouble to replace. With the chain wallet, this cannot happen. You also do not expose yourself to having a pick-pocket hit you during a crowded motorcycle event!

The leather gloves – often fingerless for summer wear -- make holding handlebars for hours more comfortable. There isn't a cruise control on a motorcycle, although some people rig them up. The throttle is in your hand and you have it turned to the speed you want to go for the entire ride. That wears on the palm and tires the hand. The gloves provide comfort. Mesh and leather are normally used for summer riding, full leather for winter rides. Also, the hands are provided protection from the road in case of a skid, fall, or drop. Road rash on the palms HURTS!

Goggles or eye protection is often the law, but it also makes sense. Think what happens if a bug hits you in the eye at 55 mph! Of course, the goggles or eye protection needs to look cool, but that just because no one wants to wear funny looking glasses. Helmet visors provide the protection in states where helmets are required. A benefit of visors, if you use a full-face visor, bugs don't get in your mouth either! ICK!

Speaking of bugs: leather protects the rider from insect impacts as well. Do you realize how hard a bug is when it hits your body at high speed?? It's painful!! And no one would want that angry insect to sting if it were capable.

Boots are a necessity. If you "almost" drop a bike, often that sturdy boot placed on the ground prevents the potential drop becoming a real accident. Think how your foot would look if you had to steady yourself and your bike wearing thin bottom sneakers? If you ruin a pair of boots because you saved yourself from a fall, it's an investment that paid off! Boots also provide protection from hot exhaust pipes and support the ankles better for mounting and dismounting your ride.

Where helmets are not required, leather skull caps are popular. Sometimes called a "do-rag", these leather bandana-like objects are shaped for the head and tie in the back. This hold hear in place but also provides some protection should you scrape your head during a fall. Of course, if you HIT your head during a fall, only a helmet will provide protection. However, we should let those who ride decide, but most states feel otherwise!

There is a reason for every thing the biker wears. Sure, it looks cool in their opinion, and there is some really beautiful riding gear available. But it's not all about looks. What you wear when you ride can save your life or at least your skin!

MASSACHUSETTS ENACTS RIDER TRAINING FOR JUNIOR MOTORCYCLISTS by Bill Bish

The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) announces that Senate Bill 2344, dubbed Ryan’s Bill, an “Act relative to assuring that motorcyclists between the ages of 16 and 18 are provided with adequate education relative to the proper safety and operation of a motorcycle.” has been signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick.

Recognizing the additional burden formal training may require, MMA Legislative Director Rick Gleason states, “A weekend of formal training sets the stage for a lifetime of motorcycling enjoyment and the skills acquired through training can help a rider avoid a crash.”

This new law does not make training mandatory, and only affects those under 18 who wish to earn their motorcycle license.  MMA Chairman Dave Condon further clarifies that passage of Ryan’s Bill does not require a junior operator take a motorcycle training course.  "A motorcycle permit in this state is good for two years. Therefore, a junior motorcycle operator can still ride on his\her permit beyond their 18th birthday, and take the road test offered by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.” Condon further stated, "The MMA was very careful in not taking anyone's choice away or interfering with a parent’s right to decide what is best for their child." Condon also pointed out that current state regulations require 40+ hours of formal training before a Junior Operator may obtain a license to operate an automobile.

Motorcycle Rider Education Program (MREP) officials analyzed ten years of information from the Massachusetts RMV and found that just over 63% of those involved in fatal motorcycle accidents have never received any formal motorcycle rider training and 22.5% of motorcycle fatalities were from riders under the age of 21.

The MMA supported the legislation in honor of 16 year old Ryan Orcutt of Brockton who died in a motorcycle accident.