Misti Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 What is the best riding tip, or piece of advice, that you have ever been given and who was it from? Misti
upflying Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Situational awareness, anticipate the unexpected and have a plan when the unexpected happens.
Jeepster Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 My dad told me, "Ride like everyone around you is out to get you. Even though it only takes one, you don't know who it'll be."
Quinn Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Wear what you want to crash in; 'cause you probably won't have time to go home and change.
Francois_Dumas Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Be sure to get proper education and training..... my Dad.
SweetP Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 "Ride like everyone around you is out to get you. Even though it only takes one, you don't know who it'll be." + 1. 'Ride as if everyone else is either out to hurt you or doesn't have a clue that you're there.' Former partner and motor officer.
Francois_Dumas Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Yeah, my father always used to say "Assume you're the only sane person on these roads... all the others are bonkers! With that in mind you'll survive."
Mister Tee Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Even if you're sure it's just a fart, stop at the nearest restroom anyway. -Anonymous Harley dude
Dave39 Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Look ahead to where you want the bike to go, especially on curves. The instructors really drove that in when I took the MSF last year...and it works. Being still a newbie to a big bike, I would somtimes start feeling a little panic entering even moderate curves. When I remind myself of the "look up ahead to where you want to go" and implement, the bike almost takes itself around the turn.
ShovelStrokeEd Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 From our own, Voodoo, "steer with your elbows".
VinnyR11 Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 Without question it was from Robert M. Pirsig. To paraphrase from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance... When trying to make good time the emphasis should be on "good". I think of this so many times while touring, out for a ride, and in daily life. It's a great way to go about so many things.
russell_bynum Posted July 9, 2008 Posted July 9, 2008 "You're going too f***ing fast." - Dick Frantz All of the other advice, tips, and info were meaningless until I slowed down enough to employ them.
upfisk Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 From the early 70's when I learned to ride..."If they see you they are trying to kill you and if they can't see you they will kill you" for advise on driving around cars, at stops, alongside on the highway, pulling out, etc.
90%angel Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Look right, push right, go right. - MSF instructor I know it is silly and basic, and it's certainly nothing that has helped me ride better, but it did save my bacon once. I target fixated on an oncoming mini van coming around a corner, and started heading right for him. Suddenly, the voice of my MSF instructor shouting in my head said "Look Right, Push Right, GO RIGHT! RIGHT!!!" and I saved my dumb a$$. I had often wondered why they made us repeat that mantra so many times in class...until that day, when I figured it out!
Woodie Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Look where you want to go. Practice (low-speed/u-turns, emergency braking & avoidance, in particular) Heck, I still have to remind myself of this sometimes! That and "never give up on a turn".
Albert Posted July 10, 2008 Posted July 10, 2008 Try to make sure there's an Outback Steakhouse next to your motel at the end of the day's ride. Well Ok I said that but it's still pretty good.
Kitsap Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 Before every ride make sure the nut holding the handlebars is in proper working order - my MSF Instructor.
Tilly Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 Enjoy your ride - Whatever they do, they can't make you pregnant!
Wheels Rollin' Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 What is the best riding tip, or piece of advice, that you have ever been given and who was it from? Misti My Dad seemed to have a wealth of 'em, Misti <>... Here are a few that have stuck with me over the years: ONE: Practice, practice, practice... No matter how long you've ridden or as good as you think you are, you can always be a better rider... Allow what you know and what you've learned to become instinctive -- to think at a moment requiring an instant decision is to waste precious time, time you may need to save your hide... Never allow a training opportunity to pass you by... TWO: Strive to be as s-m-o-o-t-h as you can... E-a-s-e... S-q-u-e-e-z-e... Modulate your control inputs deliberately, yet carefully... Think 'finesse' and 'refinement'... Become a 'pro'... THREE: Repeat after me -- 'I'm invisible'... Ride that way -- always... FOUR: Never ride without wearing all your gear... FIVE: Space and time are your intimate friends... Always create a place for them in your ride... SIX: Have fun, but be accountable to yourself by taking full and complete responsibility for all you do -- especially your riding... It's a serious undertaking fraught with many risks... Do not allow 'fear' to reside within you -- work towards achieving a measure of 'respect' for what you do... SEVEN: In an activity like riding, one can never know too much nor have too much experience... Ride as much as you can and as often as you can... Ride... Read... Speak with others... Learn from them all... No one alive really 'knows it all'... There were obviously a number of others, but these have hung around my head for... oh... a few years or so <>... ~ Bill
Dave_zoom_zoom Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 Even if you're sure it's just a fart, stop at the nearest restroom anyway. -Anonymous Harley dude Thanks for that one Mister_Tee!!! These are all some great tips, but when I read this one I almost fell off my chair laughing. It seems to me that this is what could make a "judgement call" into a "critical decision! Rock On! Dave
Misti Posted July 11, 2008 Author Posted July 11, 2008 Even if you're sure it's just a fart, stop at the nearest restroom anyway. -Anonymous Harley dude Thanks for that one Mister_Tee!!! These are all some great tips, but when I read this one I almost fell off my chair laughing. It seems to me that this is what could make a "judgement call" into a "critical decision! HAHAHAHA, hilarious!!! OK, whew, *trying to stop laughing* A lot of you have mentioned pretending you are invisible or acting like everyone around you is out to kill you which is good advice and I ride that way on the street ALWAYS. But, how does that piece of advice really change the way you ride? How do you ride differently when you are riding invisible or when everyone is trying to kill you? What are you doing, specifically? Misti Rock On! Dave
Wheels Rollin' Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 How do you ride differently when you are riding invisible or when everyone is trying to kill you? What are you doing, specifically? Misti Ok, Misti, I'll take a stab at that question... <> I think many here would say it's a mentally engaged approach to riding, one taking in full measures of positive attitude, aptitude, and skill -- and perhaps even a few other things gleaned from time in the saddle in the highway bound battlezones... The MSF folks formally label it SEE | Search, Evaluate, Execute, an' I suppose that's something of an accurate summation... I like to think of it, however, as being transparent... Anticipating the actions of others, constantly playing 'what if?' in my head, and moving about accordingly... Always staying as many 'steps' ahead as possible... Ya' know, this sorta reminds me of an interview reportedly conducted with hockey great, Wayne Gretzky, after a game in which his performance had been judged to be 'non-human', so dominant was he on the ice... After the game, a reporter is said to have walked up to him in the locker room and asked something close to this: Reporter: '... Wayne -- you had quite a game tonight... I know there are many out there who'd be interested in your secret -- just how do you do what you do as well as you do? ...' Gretzky: '... Well, it's actually quite simple, really... Most people skate to where the puck is... Me? I skate to where the puck will be...' My point? I constantly seek to find ways I can anticipate where others will be and take steps accordingly to ensure I'm not there... As I stated above in my initial response, I always ride with my intimate friends, time and space, accompanying me every turn of the wheels... To me, then, that's what it means to be 'invisible' and ride that way... DISCLAIMER: OK -- I like to enhance my odds of a successful return from a ride too... So, in the interest of 'full disclosure', let me add this: I typically ride wearing a white helmet (apparently one of the most visible colors), a brightly-colored riding jacket (most of the time hi-vis yellow and other times just plain ol' yellow), hi-vis riding pants (most of the time), and my headlight | tail light modulator... With all that 'yo-look-at-me' stuff goin' on, you'd think people would eyeball me all the time... Well, Misti, I'm truly saddened to say it's not the case... Some look, yet do not see... The subtle, yet oh-so-critical difference between looking and seeing is all-too-frequently lost in the 'fast-paced', 'hurry-up-and-go', multi-tasking obsessed world in which we live... From my somewhat jaded and occasionally cynical perspective, it seems 'attention deficit' affects more than simply those upon whom the medical diagnosis has been formally bestowed... With familiarity comes a sense of complacency -- less conscious calculation and deliberateness and more 'auto pilot'... The effort required to consistently combat it is more than many care to make... For motorists and riders alike, it's a flawed mental model to employ when engaged in the separate activities... The 'but-Officer-I-never-saw-him|her' consequences are all too real... Some may, therefore, conclude; '... It don't really matter, me tryin' to be invisible for the sake of it -- see what happens anyway?'... That may be a valid point -- realistic to the point of being cynical... Cool... Yet there's also the survival instinct at work... Part of all this, at least for me, is approaching the challenge with my eyes wide open, my senses engaged, throwing myself into the void, and through the application of my mental and physical skills, return alive and in one piece, grateful for the experience and the chance to do it again when the opportunity presents itself... <> Longer than it needed to be -- sorry <>... Gee -- I feel 10 pounds lighter <>... Anyway, I hope that sheds some light on it for ya'... Let's see what others may have to add, slice, and dice for the benefit of us all... Humbly and oh-so-appreciative for the chance to expound a wee bit, I remain forever, ~ Bill
ShovelStrokeEd Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 Misti, Take a look over at the last couple of pages of the "Cager Rant" thread in this forum. Both Russell and I expressed our ideas about this. I don't think we changed anyone's mind as most of it was about the efficacy of horn blowing but, you'll get the idea. Basically, I don't care if I'm invisible or not, I actually prefer not to be seen so I don't have to deal with the cager's reactions to seeing me. They will not always be what you expect and then you are left with an additional situation to deal with. I just try to flow through traffic like water heading down stream. Path of least resistance is the key.
MAT2CHI Posted July 11, 2008 Posted July 11, 2008 What is the best riding tip, or piece of advice, that you have ever been given and who was it from? Misti "Don't drink and ride", my probation officer.
bakerzdosen Posted July 12, 2008 Posted July 12, 2008 I learned one today the hard way: "Don't ride a motorcycle to an eye exam."
leikam Posted July 12, 2008 Posted July 12, 2008 Pilgrim passed along this excellent tip: "don't go around a blind turn or over the crest of a hill faster than you're willing to fall down."
John, Northeast Florida Posted July 14, 2008 Posted July 14, 2008 Don't fight your motorcycle. It's a better rider than you are, given half a chance.
norah Posted July 14, 2008 Posted July 14, 2008 From a very dear friend with tons of miles on the open road...."you gotta ride slow to ride fast".
John Bentall Posted July 15, 2008 Posted July 15, 2008 "I want to you to ride to the next village as close to the speed limit as you can without using the brakes" - my MSF instuctor. This exercise was designed to teach me to roll off the throttle rather than use the brakes, to be in the right gear at the right time and to look far ahead through the curves.
MotorinLA Posted July 15, 2008 Posted July 15, 2008 "Don't drive angry!" - Bill Murray giving driving advise to the groundhog.
Wheels Rollin' Posted July 16, 2008 Posted July 16, 2008 Head checks Ya' know what, John, I couldn't agree more... I think the 'lowly head check' is undervalued as a road survival tool... Like many here, I suspect, my head's always in motion, my eyes scanning, my brain trying its best to process everything flowing through, and while I do my best to regularly 'check my own six', I'm constantly amazed how quickly people seem to just materialize out of... well... nowhere <>... How sobering <>... ~ Bill
motorman587 Posted July 16, 2008 Posted July 16, 2008 Head checks Ya' know what, John, I couldn't agree more... I think the 'lowly head check' is undervalued as a road survival tool... Like many here, I suspect, my head's always in motion, my eyes scanning, my brain trying its best to process everything flowing through, and while I do my best to regularly 'check my own six', I'm constantly amazed how quickly people seem to just materialize out of... well... nowhere <>... How sobering <>... ~ Bill Can't tell how many times that has saved me from making a lane change and there was that vehicle in my blind side.
Misti Posted July 16, 2008 Author Posted July 16, 2008 How do you ride differently when you are riding invisible or when everyone is trying to kill you? What are you doing, specifically? Misti Ok, Misti, I'll take a stab at that question... <> I think many here would say it's a mentally engaged approach to riding, one taking in full measures of positive attitude, aptitude, and skill -- and perhaps even a few other things gleaned from time in the saddle in the highway bound battlezones... The MSF folks formally label it SEE | Search, Evaluate, Execute, an' I suppose that's something of an accurate summation... I like to think of it, however, as being transparent... Anticipating the actions of others, constantly playing 'what if?' in my head, and moving about accordingly... Always staying as many 'steps' ahead as possible... Ya' know, this sorta reminds me of an interview reportedly conducted with hockey great, Wayne Gretzky, after a game in which his performance had been judged to be 'non-human', so dominant was he on the ice... After the game, a reporter is said to have walked up to him in the locker room and asked something close to this: Reporter: '... Wayne -- you had quite a game tonight... I know there are many out there who'd be interested in your secret -- just how do you do what you do as well as you do? ...' Gretzky: '... Well, it's actually quite simple, really... Most people skate to where the puck is... Me? I skate to where the puck will be...' My point? I constantly seek to find ways I can anticipate where others will be and take steps accordingly to ensure I'm not there... As I stated above in my initial response, I always ride with my intimate friends, time and space, accompanying me every turn of the wheels... To me, then, that's what it means to be 'invisible' and ride that way... DISCLAIMER: OK -- I like to enhance my odds of a successful return from a ride too... So, in the interest of 'full disclosure', let me add this: I typically ride wearing a white helmet (apparently one of the most visible colors), a brightly-colored riding jacket (most of the time hi-vis yellow and other times just plain ol' yellow), hi-vis riding pants (most of the time), and my headlight | tail light modulator... With all that 'yo-look-at-me' stuff goin' on, you'd think people would eyeball me all the time... Well, Misti, I'm truly saddened to say it's not the case... Some look, yet do not see... The subtle, yet oh-so-critical difference between looking and seeing is all-too-frequently lost in the 'fast-paced', 'hurry-up-and-go', multi-tasking obsessed world in which we live... From my somewhat jaded and occasionally cynical perspective, it seems 'attention deficit' affects more than simply those upon whom the medical diagnosis has been formally bestowed... With familiarity comes a sense of complacency -- less conscious calculation and deliberateness and more 'auto pilot'... The effort required to consistently combat it is more than many care to make... For motorists and riders alike, it's a flawed mental model to employ when engaged in the separate activities... The 'but-Officer-I-never-saw-him|her' consequences are all too real... Some may, therefore, conclude; '... It don't really matter, me tryin' to be invisible for the sake of it -- see what happens anyway?'... That may be a valid point -- realistic to the point of being cynical... Cool... Yet there's also the survival instinct at work... Part of all this, at least for me, is approaching the challenge with my eyes wide open, my senses engaged, throwing myself into the void, and through the application of my mental and physical skills, return alive and in one piece, grateful for the experience and the chance to do it again when the opportunity presents itself... <> Longer than it needed to be -- sorry <>... Gee -- I feel 10 pounds lighter <>... Anyway, I hope that sheds some light on it for ya'... Let's see what others may have to add, slice, and dice for the benefit of us all... Humbly and oh-so-appreciative for the chance to expound a wee bit, I remain forever, ~ Bill Awesome! Thanks Bill. I especially loved the quote from Wayne Gretsky when he said, "I skate to where the puck is going to be." This reminds me of my favorite and most useful riding tip given to me from my friend Scott after I was complaining about cars always cutting me off. He said, "it's your fault Misti. you need to anticipate what is going to happen. Like a video game you need to see where the cars are going to be, not where they are right now. you need to see the spaces available. It made such a huge difference to my riding and from then on, no cars ever cut me off because I expected it to happen, I was ready. We coach something similar to this at the superbike school in our Wide View exercise where we say, pull the curtains open wide and see not only further ahead but wider, see where the other riders are NOT, see the spaces, see all that ROOM out there Cheers! Misti
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