B.J. Hessler is the founder and lead instructor at DC Dirt Camp, an off-road riding school in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Here she tells us how motorcycling in general, and setting up this operation in particular, have been central to her personal journey, and how her school has much to offer motorcyclists at all levels – including those who ride exclusively on pavement.

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The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

FRISKY BUSINESS: Mark takes on the classic nature vs. nurture conundrum, explaining it by developing an understanding of your cat getting the zoomies and connecting it to what we all experience as motorcycle riders.

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The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

THE SOUND OF THUNDER: Losing a motorcycle buddy is difficult, but it's something many of us will face sooner or later. Mark explores what he's gone through since his friend Jeff died in a single-rider crash not long ago, and how his experience can help all of us manage risk, expectations and emotions.

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The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

RIDING WITH ADHD: This commonly misunderstood (or misapplied) condition has a variety of effects, but can it actually make you a better rider? Mark dispels some myths and discusses (briefly) what ADHD is and isn't as it's applied to motorcyclists.

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The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

PEARLS: Maybe yours are cleverly brief instructions passed along to you in formal coaching, or maybe they represent insights you arrived at on your own. No matter how you get them, they're critical to building your skills as a motorcyclist.

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The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

DAVE SEARLE: Retired Editor-in-Chief of Motorcycle Consumer News Dave Searle reminisces about the odyssey that eventually led to his role as a highly regarded journalist for the motorcycle enthusiast press back in the glory days of print publications. His history as a self-taught mechanic, educator, writer, photographer, relentless researcher—and, of course, passionate motorcyclist—made him uniquely qualified to be MCN's longest-running leader.

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The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

OUR STORIED LIVES: Storytelling. Refined sugar. Umbrellas. Motorcycles. Reality. Darwinism. Information. Tying it all together is the really tricky part, but that's exactly what we do on a daily basis!

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The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

JAMES CARLISLE: Building on Mark's recent "Stealership" essay, this discussion digs into what it's really like for somebody at a motorcycle dealership to work with the public, especially disgruntled people who show up angry at a real or perceived slight, with a broken motorcycle or just itching for a confrontation.

Send your questions to us via email - [email protected].

The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

SHAWN THOMAS & LOUISE POWERS: There is perhaps no two people more fitting the moniker of "dynamic duo" than Shawn and Louise. When they're not traveling around the world as ambassadors and product experts for BMW Motorrad, they're buried in motorcycle training - both for learners and as learners. Mark drills down into what makes them constantly want to learn more and then share that knowledge with othe riders.

Send your questions to us via email - [email protected].

The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.

BREAKING DOWN—OR NOT: Your bike isn't the only thing that might struggle on the ride. Neglecting your body and its needs (and realities) can also cause problems on trips of any duration. "Plan your ride, ride your plan" can—and should—incorporate more than just the motorcycle.

Send your questions to us via email - [email protected].

The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes is brought to you by the BMW MOA Foundation and is on the web at BMWOwnersNews.com.