“Your brain has to be switched on; the slightest mistake and you’re off the bike,” she said. “You’re focusing on your next lean and the direction of your body—you don’t have time to think about how fast you’re going or what happens if something goes wrong. It’s really empowering to harness that kind of speed in a machine.”

About 180 riders come out for track days, Dr. Higton said, and are placed in groups with others who are at the same skill level. They ride around the track together for about 20 minutes at a time, reaching speeds up to 170 mph, all experiencing the adrenaline rush that initially attracted Dr. Higton to what some might consider a dangerous hobby.

While these track runs aren’t technically races, that is something Dr. Higton would be interested in, though she admits making racing part of the hobby would increase her risk of injury—and a broken hand isn’t exactly good for business when you’re a dentist.

How Riding Compares to Dentistry

In some ways, dentistry is similar to riding motorcycles, Dr. Higton said. While rewarding, dentistry can be a high-stress job where she must make quick decisions as her patient waits in the chair. Just like when she’s on the track, she often has to think on her feet.

Motorbiking is also dominated by men. Typically, Dr. Higton is the only woman at the track, but she doesn’t mind. She finds it empowering and compares it to what she experiences as a woman in dentistry.

“While there are a lot of women graduating these days, when it comes to teaching and running courses and being in the spotlight, it’s still mostly men,” she said. “Being a woman playing in that field makes me feel really privileged and proud. The motorbike gives me the same buzz.”