Aim higher as a motorcycle rider in 2022 and beyond.

By Byron Wilson

We’re now in the thick of the goal-setting season, and even though New Year’s Eve has passed, it’s not too late to commit yourself to a resolution or two that’ll make your life more enjoyable in 2022. Granted, nearly 80 percent of resolutions are broken by early February, but that number’s bound to drop in cases where the resolutions are actually enjoyable. This is why we focused our plans for this coming year on motorcycle riding, not diets or workout routines. Below you’ll find our five goals for 2022 which we think would be a great fit for any motorcyclist.

Pick a Weak Point and Improve It

It may be hard to admit, but most if not all riders have at least one weak point in their skill set. It could have nothing to do with riding technique; maybe you always forget to change your oil on schedule or check your tire pressure before a ride. If it is an issue with technique, consider taking a riding course or setting up some private lessons with an instructor. The key is to put ego aside and do whatever it takes to make your weak point a nonissue, or even better, to make it one of your strengths. Check out our Motorcycle Riding Tips for added help.

Learn to Flat Track

If you’ve never had the chance to buzz around a dirt track on a low-displacement dirt bike, 2022 is the year to get it done. It’s a bit of financial investment and potential travel time, but places like Rich Oliver’s Mystery School, American Supercamp, and Colin Edwards’ Bootcamp are an absolute blast. You’ll learn key dirt track skills, get to spend the weekend or more with some awesome folks, and push your own limits as a rider at your own pace. The control skills you develop along the way apply to street bike and off-road riding too. And if you’ve already attended one (or all) of these, sign up for another round. There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing.

Get Involved in a New Community

This is definitely broad but the point is to connect in a new way to new riders. Maybe you join up on a toy run at the end of the year or sign up to take a trail ride with a local group. It can also be that you join the many people around the country who donate to organizations like Ride for Kids or the Veterans Charity Ride. You could also coordinate a Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride or sign up for a trackday at a course you’ve never been to before. Put yourself into a new situation with new riders and expand the reach of the riding community around you.ADVERTISEMENT

Give Your Bike the Love It Deserves

Regular maintenance is one thing, but when is the last time you gave your ride a thorough deep clean? Maybe it’s time for fresh Motorcycle Parts and Accessories including grips, a chain, or tires. Or maybe you want to go big and outfit it with some performance-enhancing add-ons like a new exhaust, a quickshifter, or better suspension components. Do something nice for your bike, in other words, and it will do nice things for you.

Ride More

This is an oldie but a goodie. Unless you’re on your bike every day, out for long weekends, traveling hundreds of miles over the summer, it’s likely you could use more time in the saddle. Make time for yourself by planning a few trips well in advance so you can be sure to have all the particulars in place. Take the long way home from work more often. Go a few miles further on your weekend rides than you typically do. Riding is an important part of your life, after all, a source of joy and escape and adventure, and it’s totally reasonable to take a little more in 2022 than you got last year.