“ Sometimes the only way to get through the next corner is to trust the momentum you built getting there.”
ON THE PEGS
MARISA MCINTURFF
Momentum
Just a few days ago, I was out testing a new helmet on the twisty mountain roads of Southern California. My ride was a Yamaha MT- 03, bless its little heart. It was a trooper all day, taking an absolute beating as I worked hard to keep up with a few fast guys on bikes with engines more than three times its size.
When it came time to pass cars, I’ d watch the riders ahead of me give a gentle twist of the throttle and peel away. I, on the other hand, knew a pass was coming and would immediately downshift two or three gears, redline the little MT, and tuck as low as I could into the slipstream, doing everything possible to maintain some kind of forward momentum. If I was lucky, the guys out front would make their pass on a downhill instead of an uphill.
I couldn’ t brake too hard going into the corners because every mile per hour I gave up was something I’ d have to fight to get back. Instead, I carried as much speed as I could into the turn, then continued rolling on the throttle through the exit, hoping the bikes ahead wouldn’ t open too much of a gap. On the straights, I’ d claw back a little speed before doing it all over again at the next corner.
If the rider ahead of me started braking harder than I wanted them to, I’ d simply shift my line so I could run a little closer to their rear wheel without slowing down. It was a delicate dance and actually a pretty fun exercise in bike control.
It was all about momentum: Pushing the little bike along at full throttle in the top of the rpm range to maintain speed while avoiding the things that inadvertently slow you down. On bigger bikes you don’ t have to think like this as much because you have massive brakes and gobs of power to play with. But a small bike changes your perspective of the road and the challenge of riding at the pace you want.
Momentum in life rarely involves one giant burst of motivation. More often, it’ s the accumulation of small decisions that keep you moving steadily. When things
“ Sometimes the only way to get through the next corner is to trust the momentum you built getting there.”
get hard, you don’ t necessarily need to know how you’ re going to conquer the entire road ahead. You just need to make it through the next corner.
You may not have the biggest engine. You may not have the easiest circumstances. You may not have the advantages everyone else seems to have. But you can still carry speed. You can still choose your line. You can still keep your eyes up and your hands steady.
Then when the road gets really twisty, you have to trust the momentum you’ ve built. You can’ t just stop in the middle of the corner to figure everything out. You have to commit to the turn, make small adjustments, and keep going. Sometimes prevailing doesn’ t mean making one huge move. It means refusing to lose the little bit of forward progress you’ ve already earned.
It all came to me in a flash as I hung onto that 321cc bike for dear life, telling myself I can get there if I just keep pushing.
That’ s also the mentality we’ re bringing to Rider. We’ re keeping the throttle pinned and making the microadjustments necessary to stay on the right line. We’ ve certainly had our share of challenges, setbacks, and roadblocks, but we’ re not stopping for anyone or anything. We’ re building on the momentum that’ s already here and pushing hard into a new era of motorcycling, technology, and media. And I truly can’ t wait for you to see what we have in the works for the next year. We aren’ t letting anything slow us down.
To help keep that momentum going, we have added a new voice to the Rider team. Please join me in welcoming Justin W. Coffey. He’ s a longtime motor- journalist, inspiring photographer, and passionately creative storyteller.
I’ m stoked to have him join our crew. You can start getting to know Justin by reading his first few words on page 50.
And while you’ re flipping through this issue, don’ t forget to check out our 2026 Motorcycle of the Year! You can find that on page 36.
4 / NOVEMBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM