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DBrochu · 07-27-2005, 11:20 AM

Great article; thanks!

teknoman · 07-27-2005, 11:38 AM

Excellent ,I can relate to that. I drive my truck that way.I live in las vegas, where the rules of the road are"there are no rules". My wife used to complain about me not taking this freeway or that, or going a little out of my way for a safer route I like,but after 15 yrs,she has come to believe in what I do.And that is coma. cover my a$$.

litsey · 07-27-2005, 12:02 PM

First post. Excellent article, I'll remember this next time I'm slicing through the canyons and make sure I am mindfull of my degree of control.

edward44 · 07-27-2005, 12:15 PM

Art, magic and all that. Maybe alone on the road. But if you share the road with multiple wheeled vehicles, you are putting your trust, your life maybe, in the hands of strangers. Every time you ride...

ofreen · 07-27-2005, 12:26 PM

You have a point, cuz sh-t happens. But I see the 'art and magic' as including not only getting around curves and corners, but also how we deal with traffic and the unexpected that happens on the road. When you are in the zone, the dipsticks in the other vehicles have a hard time touching you because you keep yourself out of their reach. As the article says, you use "The predictor of bad stuff, the closest thing we have to a crystal ball."

Abe_Froman · 07-27-2005, 12:31 PM

At the risk of sounding as if my ego is a bit large, this is what I've always chalked up my lack of crashing to. It certainly has never been for lack of grossly exceeding the speed limit, taking curves very fast, and a wheelie here and there. However I've always been fairly reluctant to do that which I felt was quite obviously over my limit. I took years and many thousands of miles to increase that limit slowly. In my earlier riding years this meant that my riding was very reserved compared to my sometimes lunatic friends. Nowdays, however, after quite a bit of racetrack experience, it means that I can comfortably ride at a pace that allows a good margin of error yet one they cannot match.

To the uninitiated, which unfortunately includes the police, it might look reckless. Free your mind from such shackles----for it is not. Many things can be dangerous in the hands of the unexperienced and uninformed (some of which, to our dismay, still choose to participate, proving the point.) In comparison to the motorist population at large, I retain more control over my vehicle than all but a tiny handful of like-minded enthusiasts. Rules of the road, for me, have long since faded into silly anachronism, power enforced upon me for it's own sake rather than the safety of anyone around me, or even myself.

Of course I say all this in the wake of my first big crash just a week and a half ago. To my credit, however, this was in practice at a club race, and the crash was the result of fallen oil and a somewhat lately thrown flag, there was little I could do. Even when you know what you're doing, there is a measure of risk. Choosing to push my limits in the right setting helped ensure that I walked away from the 100+mph crash (but now I'm -1 racebike darnit.)

edward44 · 07-27-2005, 12:50 PM

Dream on, pilgrim. I thought the same way until my luck ran out. Read Boehm's column in the latest Motorcyclist. And it's not the first time he has spoken of what should be glaringly obvious-no amount of skill and being in the zone is going to help when a confluence of events result in being directly behind the ole eight-ball. Remember that on the way to the OR in the back of a meat wagon.

mscuddy · 07-27-2005, 01:07 PM

Oh fooey. "When in doubt gas it out" I always say.

Praise the lord and pass the bandages.

Captain_1 · 07-27-2005, 01:16 PM

Perceptive writing. Degrees of control... call it common sense. Self-preservation is served by having respect and knowing your capabilities. Wisdom follows age and life experience. Enjoy the ride.

sportbikebandit · 07-27-2005, 01:21 PM

The guy on the V-Rod who spanked me through some twisties a few months ago, reminds of this. Smoth Gray Beard (SGB), as I call him, knew I was behind him cause I could see the smile on his face when he saw me in his mirror. It seemed like he, SGB was playing with me....With every turn , speed and lean angle kept increasing until I gave up... SGB kept going smoth as can be.... I suspect it had been awhile since he crashed on his own..i.e single bike accident...Good article thanks MO

07-27-2005, 11:20 AM	#1
DBrochu Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 5	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle Great article; thanks!

07-27-2005, 11:38 AM	#2
teknoman Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 480	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle Excellent ,I can relate to that. I drive my truck that way.I live in las vegas, where the rules of the road are"there are no rules". My wife used to complain about me not taking this freeway or that, or going a little out of my way for a safer route I like,but after 15 yrs,she has come to believe in what I do.And that is coma. cover my a$$.

07-27-2005, 12:02 PM	#3
litsey Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle First post. Excellent article, I'll remember this next time I'm slicing through the canyons and make sure I am mindfull of my degree of control.

07-27-2005, 12:15 PM	#4
edward44 Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 281	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle Art, magic and all that. Maybe alone on the road. But if you share the road with multiple wheeled vehicles, you are putting your trust, your life maybe, in the hands of strangers. Every time you ride...

07-27-2005, 12:26 PM	#5
ofreen Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 329	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle You have a point, cuz sh-t happens. But I see the 'art and magic' as including not only getting around curves and corners, but also how we deal with traffic and the unexpected that happens on the road. When you are in the zone, the dipsticks in the other vehicles have a hard time touching you because you keep yourself out of their reach. As the article says, you use "The predictor of bad stuff, the closest thing we have to a crystal ball."

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07-27-2005, 12:31 PM	#6
Abe_Froman Founding Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 878	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle At the risk of sounding as if my ego is a bit large, this is what I've always chalked up my lack of crashing to. It certainly has never been for lack of grossly exceeding the speed limit, taking curves very fast, and a wheelie here and there. However I've always been fairly reluctant to do that which I felt was quite obviously over my limit. I took years and many thousands of miles to increase that limit slowly. In my earlier riding years this meant that my riding was very reserved compared to my sometimes lunatic friends. Nowdays, however, after quite a bit of racetrack experience, it means that I can comfortably ride at a pace that allows a good margin of error yet one they cannot match. To the uninitiated, which unfortunately includes the police, it might look reckless. Free your mind from such shackles----for it is not. Many things can be dangerous in the hands of the unexperienced and uninformed (some of which, to our dismay, still choose to participate, proving the point.) In comparison to the motorist population at large, I retain more control over my vehicle than all but a tiny handful of like-minded enthusiasts. Rules of the road, for me, have long since faded into silly anachronism, power enforced upon me for it's own sake rather than the safety of anyone around me, or even myself. Of course I say all this in the wake of my first big crash just a week and a half ago. To my credit, however, this was in practice at a club race, and the crash was the result of fallen oil and a somewhat lately thrown flag, there was little I could do. Even when you know what you're doing, there is a measure of risk. Choosing to push my limits in the right setting helped ensure that I walked away from the 100+mph crash (but now I'm -1 racebike darnit.)

07-27-2005, 12:50 PM	#7
edward44 Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 281	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle Dream on, pilgrim. I thought the same way until my luck ran out. Read Boehm's column in the latest Motorcyclist. And it's not the first time he has spoken of what should be glaringly obvious-no amount of skill and being in the zone is going to help when a confluence of events result in being directly behind the ole eight-ball. Remember that on the way to the OR in the back of a meat wagon.

07-27-2005, 01:07 PM	#8
mscuddy MODERATOR X Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Next to my still checkin the temp. Posts: 5,447	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle Oh fooey. "When in doubt gas it out" I always say. Praise the lord and pass the bandages. __________________ A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

07-27-2005, 01:16 PM	#9
Captain_1 Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 157	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle Perceptive writing. Degrees of control... call it common sense. Self-preservation is served by having respect and knowing your capabilities. Wisdom follows age and life experience. Enjoy the ride.

07-27-2005, 01:21 PM	#10
sportbikebandit Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 1,072	Re: The Art and Magic of Controlling a Motorcycle The guy on the V-Rod who spanked me through some twisties a few months ago, reminds of this. Smoth Gray Beard (SGB), as I call him, knew I was behind him cause I could see the smile on his face when he saw me in his mirror. It seemed like he, SGB was playing with me....With every turn , speed and lean angle kept increasing until I gave up... SGB kept going smoth as can be.... I suspect it had been awhile since he crashed on his own..i.e single bike accident...Good article thanks MO