Thoughts About Motorcycle Riding?
For a long time I have been thinking about how I would express these ideas to riders when I asked that question.
Some riders are reluctant to accept new ideas and regard what are sometimes decades of self-taught skills as a badge of honor - not to be questioned or challenged. It came to me that if I presented these ideas as my opinions rather than the “correct” way to ride maybe some folks would at least look at these ideas, try them out, perhaps even incorporate them into their own style. Maybe just looking at another idea of how to approach the same subject might make a difference - and a success of what I aimed to accomplish -- saving someone’s life or sparing the consequences of an avoidable accident. Accidents don't happen...they are caused.
Some ideas seem so foreign or contradictory to our own experiences that we see them as much more complicated than they are. All of us have had that moment of fighting a problem to the point of frustration and suddenly by seeing it from a different angle have a blinding vision of how clear and simple it was all along.
We are often the biggest road blocks to our own self-improvement. These ideas will cover being smooth, control, relaxing, body-weighting, planning, looking ahead and finally, learning to live with panic.
Last but not least, I have a list of things I would never do while riding. Take them for what they are worth - these are just my opinions. It is meant to be not the last word on anything, it is one person’s perspective to be shared, looked at, taken apart and if anything useful is found, used to suit your own needs.
You should never stop learning. The more information and different perspectives on a subject you can find will only make you a better student of yourself.
Some riders are reluctant to accept new ideas and regard what are sometimes decades of self-taught skills as a badge of honor - not to be questioned or challenged. It came to me that if I presented these ideas as my opinions rather than the “correct” way to ride maybe some folks would at least look at these ideas, try them out, perhaps even incorporate them into their own style. Maybe just looking at another idea of how to approach the same subject might make a difference - and a success of what I aimed to accomplish -- saving someone’s life or sparing the consequences of an avoidable accident. Accidents don't happen...they are caused.
Some ideas seem so foreign or contradictory to our own experiences that we see them as much more complicated than they are. All of us have had that moment of fighting a problem to the point of frustration and suddenly by seeing it from a different angle have a blinding vision of how clear and simple it was all along.
We are often the biggest road blocks to our own self-improvement. These ideas will cover being smooth, control, relaxing, body-weighting, planning, looking ahead and finally, learning to live with panic.
Last but not least, I have a list of things I would never do while riding. Take them for what they are worth - these are just my opinions. It is meant to be not the last word on anything, it is one person’s perspective to be shared, looked at, taken apart and if anything useful is found, used to suit your own needs.
You should never stop learning. The more information and different perspectives on a subject you can find will only make you a better student of yourself.