Guest Column By Dylan Wright Presented By Fox Racing Canada- The Grind Continues!

As I sit down to write this column, the sun is shining on this beautiful Sunday off. I have been down in Florida for just over a month, and I am very happy with the progress I am making on and off the bike. The riding has been going well, the track has been gnarly, the knees are getting better and better every day, and the heat has been amazing for training.

Let’s rewind a little bit to when I had initially left to come down to Florida. I was at Toronto Motorcycle Show. It was an amazing event, and seeing everybody again was very cool. I went from there to Gopher Dunes to pick up some fresh bikes and supplies needed for a long stay down South. I loaded all my stuff into the camper and pointed the truck and trailer South down the 75 to Dade City the following morning. This is a drive that I’m pretty used to doing, as I make it every year! To make life easy, you basically just stay in the I-75 South all the way here. Upon arriving at the compound, I walked around to find Dazzy (Jett and Hunter’s father) to ask him where I would be setting up for the next couple of months. From there, I started the unloading process. Bikes, parts, oils, and everything I had with me were put into the shop. This year has been the best shop setup I have ever had down South. This makes working on the bike just that much more enjoyable. After organizing everything, I took some time to watch Jett, Hunter, Wilson, and everybody ride. After being away from the track for so long because of my injury, I really enjoyed just watching these guys ride.

The following day was the day I had been waiting for a very long time! It was time to get back on the bike. The feeling of getting the gear back on and firing up the bike to ride was like no other. It had been just over five months since I had been on the bike. I can’t remember the last time I took that much time off the bike, and I don’t want to do that ever again! I can say that even after that long, you don’t forget how to ride a motorcycle. I was a little timid at first and started riding just on the turn track to be smart and not overdo things with my knees. After the first few laps, I felt like I was back in the groove. I definitely wasn’t lighting the world on fire with speed, but speed always comes back.

Upon returning on the bike this year, I wanted to work on a few basic things before getting back up to speed. That has been the focus and still is, even after a month. It’s all about getting the muscle memory to keep up the good habits while the speed improves. I’m not going to give my secrets away, but technically, I have made a step in the right direction with my riding. Another thing to add is that I have been working with Michael Byrne. He has been a great addition to my program this winter, and I have enjoyed working with him on my riding. I can tell you that I am in a very good spot fitness-wise as well. We have been doing a ton of long motos in the Florida heat. The other great thing about this facility is how rough and gnarly they leave the track. They groom the dangerous stuff, but other than that, the track isn’t getting touched too much. This is great because I am confident that no Canadian National will be this rough, other than Gopher. The only challenging part about the track being the way it is is that it brings out the negatives in a bike setup or riding style. The good thing on the bike setup side of things is that some great people surround me, and we are getting it better and better. Same with my riding, I am really picking up on where I can improve.

Also, I have had a great group of guys to ride with the last couple of weeks. Motos have been fun with Chance Hymas, Jett, Hunter, my GDR Honda teammate Jake and a few other fast guys. By watching Jett and Hunter, I learned some things and applied them to my riding. Some of their techniques have worked for me, and some haven’t. However, it’s been fun trying different things, and I love the process of trying to get better. I have also formed relationships with the guys here that will no doubt last a lifetime. It is a tight group of guys here, and we do a lot of activities and cycling together to keep the times fun.

I’m here for another month and looking forward to seeing the progress I can make in that time. As I mentioned, the weather is getting hot in Florida, so it’s great for training. So far, everything is good, and my five-month sabbatical from riding seems like a distant memory now. Thank you for reading this, and I hope everyone has a Happy Easter this weekend!