Like has there been any studies proving we can be addicted to it? I just turned 56, I dont race much anymore but I do still ride some. There have been times where I have went a year without riding but there has to be a bike in the garage or the world will end. I run a small shop and over the years when I have someone new come in who just got their kid or even themselves a racebike and they say they want to go try racing I always kinda jokingly say be careful because if you go race a couple times you are hooked for life and there is no going back. I tell them there is something that gets in your blood and you cant get it out. I do have a love/hate relationship with it though because of injuries and how dangerous it is. What do you all think?
It's the adrenaline for me. Going from years of adrenaline dumps in the Army to nothing was causing some sort of weird withdrawals, so I started racing and riding again to calm the want for something "dangerous". Then everything else that comes with it; competition, exercise, friends, camping, family, etc.
Dirt biking is a source of adrenaline. Adrenaline can lead to the release of dopamine, which is addictive
Same.
I’ve never been a great rider, I’ve had a few injuries, I’ve lost good women and friends, spent way too much money, all part of a 50+ year obsession with moto. Started riding /racing BMX in 1972 and it’s progressed from there. At 61 and still riding/racing occasionally, and I don’t know what I’ll do whenever riding isn’t a part of my life anymore.
It’s not for everyone, but I have no regrets.
Well said!
I'm 69 and still riding mx. I don't race but ride pratice days about once a week. Like Gravel I've had my share of injuries, bought a lot of bikes and spent too much money. But I still love to ride, and I'll continue doing it until I can't.
So , hell yes it's addictive! lol
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Not only is the adrenaline addicting but to me chasing that “perfect lap” is addictive. Like down siding all the landings just right, hitting the ruts in the corners just right and being in that flow state if you will. That’s something I love on ride days
It was definately an addiction for me from 1981 till about 2014. It was all I could think about and even though I was never more than a decent club rider, I made it a huge part of my life (maybe too huge at times..) and I sometimes spent money I shouldn't have, and put time into it that could've been better spent on other things. I just loved it though.!
I was incredibly lucky to walk away from some big crashes without a big injury and have no lasting effects other than a dodgy knee but over the last few years racing the worry started to overtake the adrenaline rush and I had a feeling I was pushing my luck. It took about 3 years to finally call it a day and the weird thing was the huge sense of relief I felt when I did.
I miss it a lot now I'm not doing it, but going to watch races and seeing the red flag come out and the ambulance lights come on soon wakes me up. I'm 56 this year and almost can't believe I took so many risks for so long while being grateful for all the great times I had doing it. So yes; I guess it's an addiction that's hard to break but clarity can only come when you do.
It is definitely addicting and therapeutic. I started riding at 5 years old (I'm 49 now) and looking back, I think it completely shaped my personality and the way I move through life. From that very young age, I got adrenaline, a sense of adventure, a sense of accomplishment, success, failure, all of it. I still try and ride once or twice a week, both moto and trails, but don't race much anymore other than some vintage races here and there, or some local fun stuff. There is nothing that can replace riding. Downhill mountain biking is about as close as I've ever found, but it still doesn't come close to nailing a corner, or floating a jump and putting a little style on it. Normal people will never understand it.
Definitely has elements of "clinical addiction" though I don't know anyone selling their kids' toys for new Dunlops.
The 4-Cs that many use for substance abuse fit close:
Side note: I ride weekly and get crabby if I can't for some reason.
I think something born with- my parents knew nothing about motocross, but I’ve been obsessed for as long as I’ve been alive. Getting dirt bike magazines in the mail in grade school ..Couldn’t afford a dirt bike until I was 13.
Even to this day- for the most part my life revolves around mx..I identify as a motocross-er..
For me the addiction isn’t as much the adrenaline but the peace I get when I’m on the bike. That peace is next to impossible to explain to anyone who hasn’t ridden. I’m so focused and zeroing in on what I’m doing there’s no room for thoughts of anything else. For those moments I have no stress, no bills, no political garbage, no spam calls, no drama, nothing. That is peace
The adrenaline is addicting.
My aunt that was a nurse said I was addicted to motorcycles back in the 1990’s. I guess she was right 😂 Her son was addicted like me too.
Chat GPT explaination
Yes. There are several scientific explanations for why some people become "adrenaline junkies" or consistently seek high-risk, high-arousal experiences.
1. Dopamine, More Than Adrenaline
The term "adrenaline junkie" is actually somewhat misleading. While adrenaline (epinephrine) creates the immediate fight-or-flight response, the rewarding feeling afterward is largely driven by dopamine and other neurotransmitters.
When someone:
their brain releases:
Some people experience a particularly strong reward response from this combination.
2. Sensation-Seeking Personality
Psychologist Marvin Zuckerman developed the concept of sensation seeking.
High sensation seekers:
Research suggests sensation seeking is partly genetic.
3. Baseline Arousal Differences
Some people naturally operate at a lower baseline level of nervous system arousal.
Because of this, everyday activities may feel:
High-intensity experiences bring them to an arousal level that feels "normal" or optimal.
4. Stress Can Feel Good
The body doesn't distinguish between all forms of stress.
A roller coaster and a genuine threat activate many of the same physiological systems:
For some individuals, this state is interpreted as excitement rather than fear.
5. Flow States
Many adrenaline seekers describe entering a state of intense concentration known as flow, popularized by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
In flow:
Many extreme athletes report chasing the flow state more than the danger itself.
6. Evolutionary Advantages
From an evolutionary perspective, a tribe benefited from having a few members willing to:
Genes associated with novelty-seeking and risk tolerance may therefore have persisted in the population.
Many experienced riders and athletes report that they're not actually seeking danger; they're seeking the intense focus, competence, and engagement that come when the consequences are real.
That's one reason many "adrenaline junkies" become more calculated with age. They still seek the feeling, but through skill, preparation, and controlled risk rather than pure recklessness.
After 52 years, I’m going to have to answer with a resounding, “Yes”. I broke my arm on my first ride and that was hardly a deterrent. Adrenaline junky also! 🙋
every single thing we do in life, is about dopamine.... from the moment we wake, till we sleep, life is ultimately a constant dopamine search...
riding a motorcycle at all, is a dopamine burst.... racing in any form is a dopamine burst... put the two together, get an even bigger dopamine burst... and the more extreme the dopamine burst, the more likely it'll become an addiction.... racing motocross is just as, if not more dangerous, than most addictions... no, i've never seen anyone suck a D to get mx, LMAO, but i've seen many of my addicted brothers end up in chairs, or worse...
Well, I still catch myself “clutching it” out of corners walking through WalMart…
Dang fingers twitch all by themselves
So maybe it is.
Hello everyone, my name is Bill and I am a bikeaholic.
I have joked before about needing MA meetings(motocrossers anonymous)
Pit Row
Hahahaha It'd be a group of recently crashed guys in plaster and on crutches, then as soon as they heal they say fuck that and relapse. We've seen this before 😄
Is it Tosh that does a bit about people saying they’re “addicted” to stuff? It’s pretty funny. But yeah, I’m 50+ and definitely “addicted” but have never traded sexual favors in a back alley to score a day of riding.
I started riding at 6, MX at 10. My dad brought me into it. Growing up it was the only thing that would matter. Just waiting for the weekend, race weekends and so on. I used to wash the bike after every ride. As the time is flying by, i’m now 24, i still ride (no more races), i still enjoy it, but i’m understanding that life isn’t only about riding, tho it’s one of the only things that i still crave for.
Just break up with my GF after 3 years of living together, can’t wait to go ride on sunday. It Helps me get distracted on bad periods…
It’s just a part of me that doesn’t go away. I don’t love it like i used as a kid, but i still like it .
I have other hobbies, but nothing is quite like motocross
Me neither, it's more like out to dinner and a solid roll in the hay the night before, happy wife....😄
I was freaking over Pala last weekend, but if the race was there tomorrow ?, fuck I'd be getting ready... Might have a different plan. but I'd have a plan none the less.
I wrote this about 23 years ago.
‘Motocross Confidential: Dirt Bikes & Doctors’
How long can you go without riding before your mental health begins to deteriorate? Do you ever wonder how you got to this place where riding Motocross has become as necessary to your well being as oxygen or water? Before today, I never realized that my need to participate in the sport of Motocross had actually become part of my soul.
I was driving home from my first ride after a four month injury induced sabbatical when I realized that my outlook on life had shifted 180 degrees for the positive. I thought to myself “this is incredible, I have been so busy rehabilitating my destroyed ankle, I didn’t perceive the dark cloud of stress and anxiety that had slowly crept over my mind - one day of riding and I feel hope for the future again? Too weird!” This realization immediately prompted an inner debate between my mind and the good angel/bad angel perched on each shoulder; the good angel starts by telling me “man, you must be crazy, you just spent four months in the worst pain of your life! You still walk with a limp and need to quit this sport!” Seeing this opening the bad angel laughs and reminds me that my injury did indeed occur while I was riding. Of course my mind objects to this reasoning: “hey, it was a freak accident and I didn’t even crash. Besides, I haven’t had a serious injury in four years!” (That statement alone should tell you it’s beyond my control) The good angel’s not buying my line: “you’re too old he replies, you have a family to take care of and you can’t afford another injury!” I’m not sure if my next thought was actually mine or from the bad angel, but I’m thinking to myself “how could I possibly quit riding, isn’t my positive attitude adjustment after just one day back proof that Motocross is good for me?”
Obviously, this debate didn’t end here but . . . If you happen to be at the track next weekend, come introduce yourself, I’ll be under the blue EZ up icing my foot between moto’s.
Now if you’re reading this and you’re a Motocrosser then it makes perfect sense, but if you don’t ride then you may be wondering if I could possibly benefit from a frontal lobotomy. Seriously, I know this! Motocrosser’s have a better chance of winning the State Lottery jackpot than we do of making any money riding, and everyone knows that if you ride long enough you will end up injured or worse. So why do we do it, why do we spend tens of thousands of dollars on dirt bikes and doctors, not to mention the sweat and tears shed trying to comeback from these injuries - just so we can ride again?
The answer is simple: Motocross is an addiction – according to Webster’s Dictionary we’re addicts: to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively. For most of us the addiction is psychological; Motocross requires 110% of your attention and is so mentally demanding that the world, with all its stress and anxiety, disappears while you’re riding. The only thing you think about while you’re on the track is the next jump or turn. Riding is an escape from the real world and a total release from reality. Think about it, no self-destructive drugs or alcohol in order to escape your responsibilities for an afternoon – just another reason to ride! The psychology behind the thrill and gratification of successfully landing a do or die 90-foot jump is beyond my ability to articulate. The personal satisfaction that comes from totally conquering every obstacle on a modern Motocross track is immense. Suffice it to say that if you gave a Motocrosser the choice between riding or having sex his reply would probably be “what track are we talking about?”
Motocrossers come in all ages and abilities. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been riding your whole life or two years. Doesn’t matter if you’re an expert or beginner because once this sport gets under your skin you’re done. And if you get hurt riding don’t expect any sympathy from outsiders – as soon as they hear you got hurt on a dirt bike they will only shake their head and frown. Why do we participate in this sport? It is rarely stated but in our hearts Motocrosser’s truly believe the rewards of our sport far exceed its risks.
It’s a dangerous sport. The gear and safety equipment industry exists because of that. Over the years the equipment has improved tremendously, but we still see the brutal injuries and, unfortunately, sometimes death.
One of the reasons we’re drawn to the sport is the danger in my opinion. To paraphrase Jody: We race in the middle of nowhere in front of very few people (most of us) for plastic trophies 🏆 Obviously we race for more than that. We race to face the danger, and overcome it.
Is the Pope Catholic?
I have done many drugs and drank many beers in my life. None of them have ever given me the great feelings that a great lap on the bike does. The motocross addiction has left me in a bad spot many times, but I have always gone back to it so far.
Yes it is, going on close to 60 years of loving this sport. I look forward to every broadcast on TV.
Haven't raced for about fifteen years, but I still ride dirt bikes and street bikes on a regular basis when the weather allows out here in Arizona.
The only sport I have found that tests me physically and mentally, and forces you to be in that very moment. Yeah after a while you may drift a thought. But by the end of the day, nothing relaxed and put met in complete clarity like moto has.
A lot of this applies to ADD and/or ADHD.
This forum helped me realise many mx racers are ADD and lead to me being diagnosed. Which was a massive relief to understand traits and focus issues my whole life.
Definitely addictive to many personality types....better than (serious) drinking etc!!
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