The zone!

[beyond]

Everyone talks about "the zone."
What is "the zone?"
Why is it so good?
How do you get there?

This topic is deep, so deep that many will
not understand it: but if you've been "in the zone"
you will know exactly what is spoken about here.

The zone is not an extra terrestrial experience
complete with visiting aliens and anal probes.

Is is not a place you visit in an out of the body
experience or something straight out of the Xfiles.

It is a place that anyone passionate about motorcyling
can come back to time and time again.

It is a place that is nearly as good as sex but for
males lasts a lot longer

It is a place that causes you to break the rules,
to reach past your normal boundaries and allow you
to ride past your fears.

It is a place that means the inherent risks of riding
become lodged in the back of your mind and causes
you to throw your leg over your bike every chance you
get so that on the next ride you may reach the zone
once again.

The zone is reached when all you are thinking about
on a ride, is the road ahead, how your bike is moving
beneath you and how you feel.

It is reached when you practice and practice and
ultimately reach a point on a ride where every corner
is taken perfectly, without error, where the envelope
is pushed and you don't even know you are pushing it.

It is when you put yourself and your bike through a
a road where every corner and every movement melds into
one and your mind becomes one with your machine.

The zone is where you think and your bike does, where
it truly becomes an extension of your mind and body.

It is when you ride a road hard but feel like you
were on a Sunday afternoon jaunt but your senses are
buzzing and you know you just went through that section
of highway, a lot quicker and without effort like never
before.

It is a place of euphoric delight and is not reached by
taking stupid risks. You become fully aware, you
know the risks, the dangers, the sections of road that
are dangerous and through it all know exactly what to
do, when to do it, how to react and how to move.

It is as if you can see every event unfold before you
and know what is around the next corner like you are
actually watching a movie and already know the end.

It is what makes an experienced rider long to mount
their machine and what makes them return to their
favourite piece of road when others may be bored.

Once you have touched the zone you will be hooked on
motorcyling forever. There will be no going back.
Circumstances may cause you to be without a bike
but your mind and body will crave for this place..

[Katman]

I can't help but fear that many more motorcyclists will die in the process of trying to understand what you have just said.

[beyond]

Not if they read it correctly. I did say with no risks......( By that unnecessary risks)
In fact if they reach the zone they will know how to ride and ride a lot longer.

[Katman]

Not if they read it correctly. I did say with no risks......( By that unnecessary risks)
In fact if they reach the zone they will know how to ride and ride a lot longer.

Fuck's sake Paul. When has anything ever been read correctly on here?

[beyond]

Fuck's sake Paul. When has anything ever been read correctly on here?

Well, rephrase...hope they read it correctly then....

Just sharing my passion for riding man....

[Katman]

Well, rephrase...hope they read it correctly then....

Just sharing my passion for riding man....

And your method of "sharing my passion for riding" does absolutely nothing to try to reign in the irresponsibility and recklessness that is constantly being displayed on motorcycles.

[stify]

Not if they read it correctly. I did say with no risks......( By that unnecessary risks)
In fact if they reach the zone they will know how to ride and ride a lot longer.

well, i get where you're coming from....and will enjoy the moment next time too

[beyond]

No offence mate.... but should we just shut this forum down and boycott it and then let no one share how they feel about riding... no one share about their experiences... the good and the bad?

This is an "open forum" which means anyone who is interested can register and post on how they think and feel about their favourite topic. That's what it's all about.

Anyone who has any common sense and can read, has enough brain power to realise that anothers opinion may not or may be the truth. Anyone who can read knows what is risky and what is not.

Anyone who rides knows when they are riding beyond their own abilities or not:

For clarification:
How do you know you are riding beyond your abilities:
a) Your breathing gets rapid.
b) You visor fogs up easily, especially in the tight
stuff.
c) Your heart rate increases.
d) You feel uncomfortable.
e) You know you are going quicker than you should and
you know you are pushing it more than usual.
f) Your lines go to pieces and things get out of
shape under braking.
g) You have a nice view of the sky through native
foliage and you hurt lots.

[Mom]

Interesting thread and one I thought I could contribute to without disagreement.

Yes there is a place when you are riding that all is going well, everything is flowing and you are feeling on top of the world. Your lines are smooth, your bike is doing it for you. You are in that lovely space where you have the wind in your face, enjoying what you are doing immensly. That is what riding a bike is about after all.

So I agree with;

"It is a place that anyone passionate about motorcyling
can come back to time and time again."

But I totally disagree with;

"It is a place that causes you to break the rules,
to reach past your normal boundaries and allow you
to ride past your fears."

I think your definition of "The Zone" needs re-defining.

My personal version of The Zone, may or may not lead me to break a few rules around speed, but it never, ever leads me past my normal boundaries, and certainly does not allow me to ride beyond my fears of leaving children without a Mother, or husbands without a wife.

[Katman]

No offence mate.... but should we just shut this forum down and boycott it and then let no one share how they feel about riding... no one share about their experiences... the good and the bad?

Quite frankly Paul, it's posts like yours claiming that riding to (and even pushing past) your boundries gives some sort of sense of euphoric rush that seemingly transcends life and death, that will result in further deaths.

Think about what it is you're contributing to.

[bogan]

just to clarify, are there two zones? or am i thinking of something else. Cos when riding sometimes (not hardout) i go to like a different place or summat, where its all about the ride and enjoyment thereof, no thoughts etc, just riding.

[beyond]

just to clarify, are there two zones? or am i thinking of something else. Cos when riding sometimes (not hardout) i go to like a different place or summat, where its all about the ride and enjoyment thereof, no thoughts etc, just riding.

You got it bud... everything just comes together... perfectly.

[doc]

Faaark you've found some of those funny little mushrooms . They always put ya in the zone. Well thats what i've been told anyway

[beyond]

Faaark you've found some of those funny little mushrooms . They always put ya in the zone. Well thats what i've been told anyway

LOL You funny bugga! Yeah, love those mushrooms.

[Spyke]

I suppose everyone has their own type of zone. This is beyonds zone, another persons zone maybe that glazed eye look, then realising they've ridden 5ks and wake up from their zone.

Sounds like beyonds zone is quite fulfilling.