The '79 Ironhead Philosophy: Technical Maintenance for ADHD and Recovery
- Jan 29
- 3 min read
I split my time between Grow Through Recovery and Woodsman Vintage Motorcycle and Tractor Repair. Usually, I keep those worlds separate but my old 1979 Harley-Davidson Ironhead (yeah, yeah..I know lol) recently reminded me of a vital truth about sobriety and neurodivergence.
The '79 Ironhead was a transitional year. The factory swapped the frame and the exhaust, creating a one-off machine that doesn't play by the standard rules. If you try to maintain it using a manual for a different year, you’re going to fail, or be short on hair when it's over. It requires a specific, disciplined approach to keep it on the road.
If you have an ADHD brain, or you’re navigating the long road of recovery, you know exactly what it feels like to be a "one-off." You know that standard advice often doesn't fit your frame. To keep a machine like this on the road, you don't need "inspiration"—you need awareness, discipline, and maintenance.
The Vibration of the System
An Ironhead vibrates with enough intensity to back its own bolts out during a ride. You can’t just "set it and forget it." You have to be a technician. You have to check the tension of the machine constantly.
In recovery, we deal with a similar internal "vibration"—the restlessness, impulsivity, and constant mental noise that comes with neurodivergence. You can’t just "set it and forget it" and hope for a smooth ride. You have to be a technician of your own life.
You have to check the machine every day:
The Structure: Are your "Big Three" (Sleep, Nourishment, Movement) dialed in? When these get loose, the whole system starts to shake.
The Wiring: Are you managing your emotional and mental well being through healthy outlets like music, art, or writing? or is your wiring starting to fray?
The Fuel: Are you feeding your brain the healthy dopamine it needs through music and creation, or is the tank running dry?
Respecting One-Off Hardware
Because the '79 is a misfit year, you can't compare its performance to a modern, fuel-injected bike. It has its own rhythm, its own cold-start sequence, and its own limitations.
In this community, we stop comparing our "engine" to the neurotypical person next door. If your brain is wired differently, you need a recovery rhythm that respects that hardware. You don't need to be "fixed" to run well; you just need to follow the right manual for your year and model.
The "Cold Start" Protocol
You don't just hit a button on a vintage Sportster and go. You have to prime it. You have to feel the kick. You have to give it time to warm up. On the days when the brain fog is thick or the weight of sobriety feels heavy, the "cold start" is real. You can’t always snap into high gear immediately. On these days sometimes the win is just going through the sequence: The hydration, the small habits, and ten minutes of scales on the guitar, journaling or working towards that 25 push ups goal is what's needed to get the internal engine firing.You have to give the system time to reach operating temperature before you can ask it to perform.
Maintenance is the Mission
A well-maintained '79 Ironhead is a survivor. It’s raw, honest, and functional, provided the operator does the work.
Your life doesn’t have to be a "standard" model to be powerful. It just requires a commitment to the grind of daily maintenance. When you stop looking for a "destination" and start focusing on the tuning, that’s when you truly begin to move forward.
Optimize Your Internal Hardware
Whether you're navigating life with ADHD, PTSD or the long road of sobriety, let's get your system dialed in.
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