Ride Thoughts with Zack Helsel
What was the moment you knew you were hooked on riding?
I bought my buddy’s 2015 R6 for 5 grand in 2017 and rode it around my apartment complex. It was the best feeling in the world. Not necessarily the riding, but who I was/became on the bike.
Who or what inspired you to start riding?
Long story short… I got kicked out of kindergarten when I was 5, and my mom had to pick me up from school. Usually, I got to go into the bank with her, but because I got in trouble, she made me wait in the car while she ran errands. So rather than getting Scooby-Doo gummies in the bank, I sat in the car—only to be entertained by the coolest sportbike rider ever. He saw me waving my arms out the window of my mom’s parked car and gave me a show. That moment, when I was 5 years old… I knew.
What's your favorite memory from a ride?
That’s actually a good question. I’d say my favorite memory is when I met my two friends at a bar who essentially taught me how to ride. I didn’t know shit about shit, but they taught me everything I know now and took me to all my first track days as well.
What’s the most challenging ride you’ve ever done?
Well, I was the most challenged when I rode Tortilla Flat outside of Phoenix on a Ducati V4R… but that’s because I wasn’t skilled yet. That ride requires body positioning and trail braking, which I didn’t know how to do at the time.
As an experienced rider, Thailand was—and still is—the most challenging. To give you a frame of reference, the skill difficulty is rated twice as high as Tail of the Dragon, which is 250+ turns. Thailand is like Tail of the Dragon but harder—and it’s 5,000+ turns, lol. It’s called the Mae Hong Son Loop, but our riding group takes a special route to make it even longer.
How has riding changed the way you view life?
Riding gives me purpose and freedom at the same time. It makes me think differently about angry, grumpy people—because if they had a bike, they’d probably be a lot happier. HAHA.
If you could ride anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I have ridden everywhere in the world. HAHAHA! But Wyoming/Montana is still on my bucket list.
Has riding ever led you to an unexpected adventure?
Ehhhh, not really. But I have met some unexpected people—which I think is entirely the point.
How does riding impact your mental health?
Personally, I ride for a much different reason than most people. I think a lot of young adults really connect with motorcycles for the Sad Boy TikTok vibe or the idea of “escape.”
I ride because it gives me the freedom to go where I want, how I want, virtually as fast as I want—and I love the challenge of skill acquisition. Getting better at things I used to suck at because of intent. I try, really hard.
If you could ride with any rider (living or dead), who would it be?
I’d want to ride with Nick from NBT. He’s my boy.
What’s one thing you wish more people understood about riding?
I want to understand suspension more. I really don’t know how suspension works. I don’t know how to work out, change, or adjust suspension—but I know it’s really important.
Follow Zack @whynot_zack