snakes and snails and puppy dog tails

deep down, the soul of a man is a highly combustible mix of adrenaline, testosterone and some kind of petrochemical (at least until a suitable high-energy-density replacement comes along). said petroleum product could be jet-fuel, high-octane racing gas, or a two-stroke oil and gas mixture.

unchanneled the effect can be destructive and only sometimes lethal. properly harnessed, it can still fail to generate intuitively pleasing endstates with respect to the female psyche.

during casual conversation, i've sometimes had people ask for clarification when i refer to "driving both ends" of my car, question what i mean by oversteer or understeer, or query how it is even theoretically possible to be in control of a sliding or drifting vehicle e.g. while on the way home from church.

the short answer is - it just is.

cars slide small amounts on their rubber wheels all the time. you can't feel this in some cars because the effect is mixed with the suspension - but any steering correction necessary because of slowing (or accelerating) in a turn is precisely this slippage. others who have experienced a tire with a violent or unpredictable transition from grip to lack of grip - are understandably wary of exploring the upper limits of adhesion.

but with the right tires and the right car - there is a natural predictable transition that can be safely explored between complete traction and significant lack of traction, between no yaw and high slip angle, even at respectable (e.g. supra-legal) speeds.

often enough, the point is not to drift. except in drifting competitions where the point is only to drift. but sliding is not necessarily the fastest way around the track - or the straightest line through a series of curves.

however, during the natural course of events (e.g. driving to or from church) a car's weight is going to shift from front to back and side to side - and these transitions require managing - even and particularly in an apparently stable ride. additionally there are driving techniques which require a small amount of oversteer (rear end hanging out) to most quickly navigate a turn - the effect is like "leaning into" a curve.

while all this is kinda cool in cars - and fairly understandable given there are four wheels to keep one oriented perpendicular to the horizon - the following video makes drifting in a car seem trivial.

i can not fathom the amount of skill, artistry, intelligence and in-tune-ness-with-the-moment / mindfulness, it takes to do what these guys are doing on a bike.

but watching this feeds my soul:

for ethan - who called to ask "which is faster: a car or a motorcycle?" this is a fantastic question buddy... one you can spend the rest of your life debating.