Wanting to contribute to the welfare of young street riders in the neighborhood recently inspired me to collate the most valuable lessons learned over 40 years of riding and sprinkle them into coaching opportunities before, during, and after our rides. From anticipating hidden driveways to danger lurking in the shadows; noticing pavement and camber changes to negotiating blind turns; and choosing appropriate speeds to deciding when and where not to be a hooligan, every lesson learned via a close call or a raft-load of scabs has become a vibrant and essential strategy to impart. Essentially, I have remade myself into a motorcycling Mother Goose. Teenagers can’t know all the survival tricks of a seasoned street rider because they haven’t experienced it all yet, nor have they suffered from not knowing. And a safety-school instructor might actually not be the entire solution, partly because his focus is necessarily on teaching the required curriculum (e.g., how to physically control the bike) and also because not every instructor has the same breadth of personal experience. The result is that teenage enthusiasm, coupled with a less-than-complete worldview, can still lead to trouble—even if a good-faith effort is made to obey the rules of the road. Among many possibilities, here are four tactical skills that can benefit younger and less mature street riders. Know what speed means. Doubling your speed injects four times more kinetic energy into any riding situation. So that quick twist of the throttle means it will now take way longer to turn, brake, or avoid trouble. Always be escaping. Train your mind into a computer that continually scans for threats and plans escape routes. “What will I do if…” and, “Where will I go if…” are essential questions to replay as road and traffic conditions change. Build a suspicious mind. Young riders sometimes assume they’ll be safe if they just obey the speed limit. However, left-turning cars, road hazards, or even an unmarked turn can still take them out. The antidote is building situational awareness. Stay in the present. Make the motorcycle seat your war room. This means that instead of climbing aboard and mentally checking out, young riders should embrace the immediacy and responsibility of the ride. Then when the unexpected happens, they’ll be ready.Gadget Reviews: mamaktalk.com
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