Rather than focus on the myriad of things I did wrong (omg oh so many) for this Challenge, I choose to focus on what I did well.
1. I completed the challenge
2. I improved my times
3. (really #1) I loved wringing that 2-stroke out, upshifting while spinning the rear, wheelieing out of corners, waffling into them… the line is so fine that when I hit it, I’m in heaven. This is where I feel the most alive – pushing the ragged edge – and when I manage to get even part of it right, the rush is indescribably strong.
I can’t NOT lean into the turns”
Now, with incredible realism, the MotoGPTM 21 video game allows me to push the limits of what I and the bike can do on track, with both human and AI competitors, without any catastrophic downside risk. (I had a rather severe accident back in the day.)
This is what I’ve been waiting for.”
Ever since seeing TRON, I wanted a lightcycle. I didn’t get to ride a real bike until later, with considerable restrictions, but that’s another post.
Point being, that I am now in a position to chase a dream long since given up on. No matter how good or fast I could be or have been, I’m carrying at least 50 and more like 90 additional pounds than the Fast Ones. It is so painful to connect everything well, hit all your markers, and be passed like you’re standing still.
This is where eSports thrive. Multiple generations can come together and compete as equals.”
I always wanted to race MotoGP. I was always too big to have a chance IRL, but now physical characteristics like height and weight are irrelevant. We all play the same game, on the same systems, and just as the IRL races have become, the competition is closer than ever.
Imagine how many people can now go back and recapture those abandoned aspirations.”
For me, I can now compete at the highest level against the world’s best, and see how slow I really am. I’ve usually been a middle-of-the-pack competitor, but I’m optimistic that this may be an arena I can potentially be competitive at the highest level.
Not to mention that at my advanced age, I can do without the physical or financial risk. Racing IRL is very expensive. As the old joke goes, “The best way to make a million dollars in racing? Start with two million and get out quick.”
I’ve only had three crashes in my 40 years of riding, and all three were my fault. One of them changed the course of my life.
I am grateful to now be able to compete without risk to myself or others, and I REALLY want to go fast. Let’s see how good I can get!