My philosophy when I get in the saddle...

[necrotimus]

I have been actively riding for just over a year now and just wanted to express my personal philosophy about my own riding. For me the two biggest factors that are echoed in my riding are safety and enjoyment, in that order. The third factor that always exists on or off the bike is learning/improving.

Safety starts before I throw my leg over the bike making sure that the bike is well maintaned and in good working order. The majority of the time I take an intense pleasure in doing things like checking the tires, doing regular maintenance, or modding. There is something peaceful about getting up early on a Saturday and doing all my maintenance and washing the bike. When it does become tedious and frustrating I know it is time to take a break.

When it comes time to throw my leg over the bike my mind shifts from the safety of the bike to my safety and those around me. My first priority is to know my limits when on the bike for this ride. I have what I call static limits and variable limits. My static limits are those that I have reached during practice sessions... lean angles, speeds, braking distance, avoidance manuevers etc. My variable limits are those same limits but set to a certain percentage for a particular ride, this ride. For example practice limits are 100% but if I am commuting, which for me involves a lot of traffic, I may set my limits at 60%. I do not exceed 60% of what I know I can and have done. The extra 40% is for emergency use. Its not always as simple as can I take this turn faster but may involve can I pull in front of this car? The answer may be yes but if the car in front of him slams on his brakes can everyone stop in time? If its at 100% of my acceptable limit then I will wait until I can do so at 60%. This give me and everyone around me a a greater margin for error.

Even on spirited rides I never push my limits to the edge I like to leave at least a safety margin of 20% of my abilities. Some of you may be saying with all this concern for safety and never pushing yourself how do I get any enjoyment out of my riding and how do you ever improve? I look at it quite the opposite. The closer I push myself to my limits the more I have to concentrate on holding that edge. I have nothing left to spare for enjoyment or improving. I might have a rush of elation and excitment after finishing the ride but what did I feel during the ride? Nothing, I was so focused on holding lines, lean angles, speed, braking that I don't have a chance to feel anything except maybe terror when I see something in the road. And after the ride I'm exhausted.

By not pushing my limits to the edge I enjoy the ride during the ride. It doesn't mean I'm not focused but that I have something extra left to appreciate the scenary or to say "Hey, look at this **** eating grin on my face! What? Oh yeah I'm wearing a helmet." My enjoyment comes from the ride during the ride. Just like enjoyment improvements are easier to make when I'm not pushing the edge. I have that extra left to say "I'm not looking into the turn far enough, my arms are too tight, my upper body is twisted." If I was pushing the limits I just carry my bad form into my progression: I need more but since I'm all twisted up all I can give it is more lean. Improve my form before I need to push it to the edge and now I can make body adjustments or give it more lean.

I didn't always have this philosophy but I had a big enough scare a few months ago that I was able to sit back and evaluate my riding and what I wanted from it. I may never drag a knee or be the fastest but thats not what I want.

For those riders riding at or near the edge I urge you to take a few rides and back off a bit and see if you still find the same enjoyment in it. If you don't then you belong on a track where you can push the limits with less consequences to yourself and those around you.

Anyway thats how I roll, feel free to post how you do :Sport:

 

[GSBandit6]

Great post with a lot of wisdom. Some of which I had already decided to put in to practice after the events last night that I mentioned in another thread. I truly feel that I hit 100% of my ability last night. I know I could go faster with better form and proper gear (knee pucks). Dragging a peg is something I do get a perverse sense of pride about, however I was not ready or geared properly for this.

I had already decided to pull back and ride a more sport touring pace on future rides rather than a supersport pace before reading the above post. Now that I know the bike can handle all I can throw at it, it's time to step back and improve on me. Better positioning, better lines through corners, better throttle control and better brake control are just a few of the things I'll be working on until the end of the season.

Admittedly, my pace was too much last evening. :spank: 99% of the time I don't ride like that. Usually I am well within the 80-85% of my perceived skills at any given time depending on the environment. I really enjoy a spirited ride on a twisty road. To me that's the best part of having a sports-oriented bike. However, I am reevaluating my perception of acceptable risk and will be adjusting my riding style accordingly.

Thanks again for starting this thread and posting your philosophy, there's a great deal of wisdom here. I look forward to seeing of others will post up there's.

 

[shamrocker]

Very cool and level headed. Thank you for posting!

 

[FZ1inNH]

Well spoken and thanks for sharing. If only a lot of the young guns would take this approach, we'd have a better crop of skilled riders out there! :thumbup:

 

[ELIZABETH]

^^^^What he said. :thumbup:

 

[bd43]

In addition to all that, when my bike rolls out of the garage first thing in the morning, I observe the tire for air, I start it, check the front and rear signals, left and right, tail light, front lights, activate the brake light with the handlebar lever, and then the foot lever, and anything that might be dripping on the driveway.

:rockon:

 

[cv_rider]

Good view on riding. When I started motorcycling for the first time two years ago, I was expecting it to be a "sport" that generated an exciting rush each time I commuted!

It didn't take too long for me to realize that with the level of risk I'm willing to accept (kids are five and seven and definitely need a daddy in good condition around), motorcycling isn't a "sport" in the adrenaline-generating sense. It has to be enjoyed on other levels - as you are describing. There is just too much that can go wrong when close to the limit.

I never push anywhere near my limits, except in emergency braking practice. You never know when gravel or oil is around the corner, and I want to be slow enough that I can deal with it in a controlled manner. Fear of unknown road surface is probably my greatest limiter. I think on the track with fewer variables is the place you can afford to get close to your limits. On the public road, you've got to keep it reeled way in.

 

[Soap]

Well spoken and thanks for sharing. If only a lot of the young guns would take this approach, we'd have a better crop of skilled riders out there! :thumbup:

Thanks for the generalisation :spank:

Good post from the OP.