I did rally in cars in my old trusty Datsuns and some track.
Eventually I realized that all I remembered was the same old tracks, dirt or not.
One day I was sitting at a lookout (Um whatever you yanks call it overlook or something) watching the sun set and the light glistening off the small dams in the valley.
It was one of those moments when I realized that all the bike riding I did was to explore at a slower pace and I remembered a lot more, met a lot of good people and it was far more enjoyable and some of my best memories were when not on the race scene.
Grasshopper, I said yo myself, as Kung Fu was popular at the time, "It is about the journey you idiot", Stop wasting time perusing stupid medals and go and explore.
So from that point on I spent a lot more time on my little CB400 exploring. (It had sensible things like crash bars and racks as standard). I rode that bike for a long time, even in the two weeks of non riding season,
we have here.
Once "Dual Sports" were re-invented I became interested again. Financial reasons meant that I kept that bike for a while, as I became poor white trash and had to take up the redneck lifestyle but I eventually the industry started being more than focused "Race bred every bloody thing" and came out with some "General Purpose bikes" again and my financial situation improved. I started doing research which is why I never bought an overpriced Bavarian Tractor.
I was so impressed by the fact that there were other brands out there as the experience with the Honda NEVER breaking over 10 years had left it's mark. I bought another bike. An SV650, known to be a good all round bike.
Bullshit I said after few months, but persisted.
And that eventually led me to the Super Ten Touring General Purpose go almost anywhere there is a resemblance of a road bike I have now after a slight diversion into Jacked up street bike land with the DL1000.
So that is why I ended up back where I was when I was 10 years old on my push bike. Exploring, stopping for a look see, scaring the crap out of myself in a different way, improving my slow riding skills, fast riding skills, balance, Iron Butting, smelling the fields of Canola, Dead animals, riding through rain front in the desert, pushing through cold, rain, heat, experiencing it all fast slow whatever. Lot's more variety.
If you leave the stop watch at home, you can push yourself just as hard for different reasons, BUT if you feel like chilling out you can too, usually with some good people that give you a new perspective on some things. All you have to learn is to be at peace and stop being competitive. Fall over, have a laugh at your own expense.
I never liked organized stuff anyway. I like the "go that way and see what happens" thing better and it's fun if you can sit around a fire at night and talk as well.
