RESPONSE-ABILITY
Motorcycling is, by definition, a hazardous sport, and in this “flirting with risk” nest all the good and the bad images connected with our passion. One moment of over-adrenaline and the community will label you as the “usual reckless rebel”; one second of distraction and “hugging the tree” takes a dramatic meaning.
A good friend and outstanding trainer once told me the question to remember when riding is quite simple: “How can I get hurt?” Obsessive? Maybe. Realistic? Surely.
It is enough to spend time in one of your friend’s cars and observe.
Modern cars are more an entertainment/business center than a transportation vehicle. Car audio ORDERS, Telephones, Wi-Fi, vocal GPS, Radio, Video, Pagers, Speed controls, and Temperature controls offer endless sources of distraction to the pampered driver.
Attention is divided, concentration scattered: bikes have little chance of being seen. “Sorry… I did not see you” can be a good excuse for the driver, but it does nothing good for the rider. We must take responsibility into our own hands, recognizing that there are no accidents for bikers, just mistakes we make (and pay for).
This “Response — Ability” attitude is probably the best tool for learning competent riding and maintaining personal safety on the road.
This ability to respond to the multi-faced situations we encounter on the road can be trained and expanded with simple exercises. In the following lines, I will try to summarise this experience:
Take a mental pause: while preparing for the ride, during the ‘dressing up” period, try to empty the mind of everyday preoccupations and focus on the task ahead. Make the “dressing for riding” a moment of meditation, and you will gain in concentration and attention during the ride. This break will also remove the negatives of rage, hurry, and competitiveness from your attitude. You will understand better your limits, the commitment to learn and the need for riding objectives.
Talk while you are riding: if you try to keep a commentary of your ride by talking inside the helmet, you will soon discover that reality moves at a faster pace than you can talk/think. If this is the case, it is time to slow down till you can adjust your thinking with your speed. Try once, and you will be surprised. This exercise also improves the “scanning” ability, obliging the rider to “take in” more information while keeping a high, long vision.
Ride the System: when you need to respond to an approaching hazard (of any kind), check first your position on the road and take the best line for Vision and Traction. Then reduce speed as the first reaction: close the throttle, apply brakes and go into the appropriate gear. Losing speed is always the best choice: it gives you time to see, think and react, and, at the limit, it reduces the damages of an unavoidable impact. Furthermore, by reducing speed, you do not rush into emergencies blind: you can plan smoothly and cleverly.
Play games: What if? It’s one of the best. Keep alternatives open when you decide on the safe action/line. What if… the situation develops differently from your prediction? What if… the line you selected suddenly close? What if? It is a mind game that can keep you alive on the road: without turning paranoid, you increase your options. You will have alternative plans to win the battle like a good general.
Keep a positive Mind: too much tension and too much control makes the ride unpleasant and the bike unstable. By tensing your muscle, transforming your arms into rigid sticks, and contracting your shoulders and legs, you pass an overdose of orders to the bike. Instead, relax, be fluid and “loose” on the grip, release shoulders down, abandon the hard holding of the bars, and follow the bike in its natural balance. Check your tension (and your fatigue) frequently: be aware of how you hold the bike, and your ride will become more fluent (and faster), cornering will gain harmony, and braking will be without panic.
The Director of the GWRRA (Gold Wing Road Riders Association) Education program writes: “The only thing in life that is constant is change… but… we are a species that thrives on stability. We like to develop the same routine…maintain the same routes to and from work… we take some solace in this constancy. Yet, within this solace, there are inherent dangers. Complacency can easily be disguised as solace and comfort.
We reach a mental state that doesn’t prepare us for the change, for the unexpected… So we must develop our process for continuous improvement and develop the capability to recognise, accept and embrace change.
We must practice, focus and prepare ourselves continually.
We need to be at the top of our game at all times… I can think of no scenario worse than riding at speed and finding myself uncertain about handling a developing situation. Uncertainty is a liability.
Adaptability and knowledge are the greatest assets we can develop… So you may want to reflect on how you view continuous improvement. Do you feel that no aspect of your game needs work? Are you prepared and adaptable for all that you encounter?”
The answer to these vital questions changes the way we ride. The competent rider is the (ever) learning rider, not listening to internal or external voices saying that training is useless and that you must “enjoy biking”.
Knowledge increases fun in any sport: in this one, knowledge increases fun and safety. And, crucially important, knowledge brings response-ability that is not only the capacity of responding correctly to hazards but also the belief that, on the saddle, the pilot is the sole responsible for what happens.
The desire to learn separates the “amateurs” from the “professionals” in life. On the road, the same desire can extend your life.
“The confidence of being “The Best” should always be united with the humility of constant learning and the recognition of responsibility.”
