The psychology of motorcycling - getting the brain in gear!
 

Hey guys,

So after getting my now-beloved Suzuki Marauder just over a week ago, I've been getting out on my local suburban roads as much as I can, to build up my riding skills and confidence. It's been going really well - yesterday I even braved a 30-minute ride in late-afternoon traffic, which did wonders for my confidence: I've been really feeling like I'm getting the hang of this! :D

BUT! Today, with the sun shining and a great afternoon for riding, I got out on the road on my bike and my brain just turned to mush! Everything was clunky and I was suddenly really conscious of everything I was doing. I was more hesitant at junctions and stuck to going round the block, as opposed to the bigger circuit of the suburbs I've been doing. Basically my brain was just completely not in gear (let alone the bike!). In the end, I just rode the bike back into the garage, dispirited that after progressing so well I was suddenly really crap again. :(

Is this normal?? Are there some days when it just doesn't come together in the brain department? Is this a newbie thing? Or do all motorcyclists have "off days" (I don't mean falling off the bike, psychologically "off"!). And is there anything you can do to overcome this mental block - or did I do the right thing by just giving up and coming home? :confused1:

I'm quickly realising that motorcycling is 10 per cent operating the bike and 90 per cent a state of mind!! (feel free to dispute those figures, it's just a newbie's perspective...)

Jeanie :mchappy:

Riding a bike in my view is 90% mental thought process and 10% actually riding the thing. Your brain takes 75% of the oxygen that you intake and your mental ability overides everything but you don't have to think about breathing which is essential to our lives. It's a natural process and doesn't require much micro thought as what will happen when your experience and confidence blooms on the bike.

If your having an 'off' day then don't worry about it. Don't push yourself to be the best rider in a matter of a few weeks, it takes time and patience to develop the ability to push aside the 'micro' thoughts and get muscle memory to do a lot of the jobs for you, gearchanges for instance. There's a lot to take on board when on a bike that we tend to forget as experience grows. I don't recommend forcing yourself onto the bike but do it your own time and if possible, go with other riders so you can share your experiences, listen to theirs and watch their ridng styles and positioning.

or did I do the right thing by just giving up and coming home? :confused1:

Nah.. it's not about giving up, it just wasn't today, there's always tomorrow! It'll come and you'll be all the better for it!

Sometimes when you sit on a motorcycle the little voice in your head says "this is not a good idea today".

After 39 years of riding I've learned to listen to that voice.

Just ride more !! Simples !

Like anything, the more you do it, the more it becomes second nature..

I ride my bike everyday and have done for over 10 years. I don't even consider or think about it anymore. I just do it..

Just like when you pick up a knife and fork to eat your dinner, you dont think about it.... Quite a difference to slopping mush over your face as a baby though isnt it lol.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE... Ditch those car cars, forget that bus pass... Just ride wherever you can, when you can.

:thumbup1:

I have off-days, by that I mean my road riding isn't up to my usual standard, by 'my' I mean what I expect myself to ride like.

At your atage of riding you should be thinking about nothing but the road ahead, I mean nothing. look at the junction, side road, driveway, parked cars, kids playing, dogs, old people, yuppies on thier iPhones, anything that has the potential to become a hazard.

Think about your road position, are you in the right possition for the next turn, bend, hazard etc

Can you stop in the distance you can see to be clear ?

Here in the UK we are lucky to have further training available to further your riding skills on the road, BikeSafe is run by the local Police Motorcyclists, and then there are the Advanced Motorcycle Organisations to help you further. There is a book called Motorcycle Roadcraft, available here in the UK that will show you the do's and don't, how to address risks and hazards.

As you concentrate on your riding, it will just fall into place, bad days will become the days when your riding is average, the rest of your time you are aware of everything and your riding (the technical part of making the bike go) will just happen, all by itself.

Use a system of Motorcycle control to get you thinking, throughout your next ride subject everything you do to a riding plan, plan for the next junction, plan for the next parked car, for the next traffic light, the next chils, the next dog, cat, elephant, muddy puddle, turn, twist etc etc

1) Position, are you in the right position? can you see what's happening?
2) Speed, is yuor speed right for the hazard ?
3) Gear, are you in the right gear to deal with the manouvre?
4) Acceleration, use the throttle to accelerate from the hazard.

Throughout the whole system, use information around you to adjust your riding plan.

Information - TUG. Take Use Give.

Take in all the information around you, start to look for places you can see a little better, under the lorry to see whats ahead, views to the inside, the out side, look through corners, look for clues (for instance mud on the road could indicate a tractor, or road maintenance vehicle ahead).

Use. All the information to build a picture of what is around the next corner. Most of the time the information is there, you just need to look, and learn. Use the information and adjust your riding plan.

Give. Giving information is as important as taking it, let other road users know what you are doing, lifesavers indicate to many drivers (who might also be a biker?) that you are about to do something. Hand and arm signals to backup an indicator (blinker/flasher) can help if the driver hasn't noticed your flasher in the sun. pulsing the brake light when you are stopped to get the attention of the approching vehicle (behind)

I could go on all day!

The point is, when you think ahead it gives you more time to plan, so you end up riding to a plan rather than a reaction - makes you nice and smoth on the road.

:scooter:

Excellent advice,sometimes it just does not gel,the bike & you.
Everyone has off days & sometimes you are in the "zone" & it all seems as natural as breathing,as with all things practice is the key,the more experience you gain the fewer "off days" you will get,as you gain experience the more relaxed you are & therefore the quicker your reactions will be.
If you have an off day dont let it get you down,its all part of the learning curve,just try to enjoy your riding,for most of us its one of the best things we ever did.

I have the same problem with running. I'll go out one day and it'll all come together and I'll have a great hour or so. The next time I'll be leaden footed, slow and just not enjoying it. I've learnt just to live with it and accept that some days are better than others.

It's the same with biking (and driving). Why it happens is something I've thought about many times and I've concluded that the down days are mainly when what I'm doing is nothing special - just a routine day when my mind is on other things. Perhaps you're starting to relax a bit about biking and progressing a little beyond the "this is new and exciting" phase. The fact you've noticed it is a good thing though.

I think this should apply to every rider, not just a newbie...

Learning
 

I think when learning anything new you hit plateaus when no progress seems to be happening, but I think during these times you're developing "muscle memory", being able to carry out actions without concious thought, freeing up brain space for all the other things you need to be considering. If it's not happening, leave it and come back later.
:taz:Three deep breaths can sometimes help!

:thumbup1:

Of course it should say 'stage' not 'atage'.... bl00dy keyboard!

Everyone has off days - just look at any sport and players/athletes hit a good run of form then have a bad one once in a while. It happens because we are human. Dont stress over it.

Just take it on the chin and if you're having an off day ride well within your limits and dont push it. A few people have mentioned that voice inside your head... listen to it, it is your friend!

I definitely dispute those figures: Riding is 1% operating the bike and 99% a state of mind. Even that may be understating the importance of the mental side to riding safely.

Everyone has "off days", especially early on. My own policy on them:

An "off day" means I am not aware of the road conditions and traffic around me, so I do NOT ride the bike. It simply becomes far too dangerous (to me) to ride if I'm not paying attention.

Time does, of course, balance this out. Off days will occur less often. Your skills will improve significantly (over the course of years) making riding on one less dangerous. The severity of some types of off days will also decrease (for me at least they did).

Now to throw out all the above .... sometimes the best medicine to counteract an off day is to just get out and ride. Not many motorcycles in front of the psychiatrist's office.

:mchappy:

Yep! Been there.

For me its been when I haven't eaten and my blood sugar is off and/or I haven't been drinking enough fluids.

I hit the road at 0230 in the morning, when deer, drunks and cops are the most active. I have to be mentally alert at this time. Sometimes I use these. They perk me up and help me stay focused.

[url=http://www.vroomfoods.com/foosh_mints.html]FOOSH

What a difference a day makes...
 

Wise words, all - thank you!

I got right back in the saddle again this morning - early-morning, not much traffic about to start with, etc etc - and my brain seemed to be back in the zone again! :biggrin3:

Rode for a couple of hours and got my confidence back up again, thank goodness. Rain started coming down, so headed back inside - not ready for wet-weather riding just yet!

I think maybe the "off days" thing is actually a tiredness thing - first thing in the morning, I'm alert and ready for anything, whereas late afternoon, everything takes much more effort! Motorcycling's certainly not "coming naturally" yet - so maybe it's also "brain ache" through having to concentrate so much, hahaha!!

Jeanie :mchappy:

The Pace
 

I'd highly recommend reading "The Pace" by a friend of mine, Nick Ienatsch.
I had the chance to ride with Nick and company back in the 90's when this style of group riding was being formed. Motorcyclist magazine frequently test new bikes in the Santa Monica mountains, my former back yard.

The Pace works, and you will be a better rider if you learn the basic tenants and put them to use ... daily. Not strictly for beginners but all the basic principles apply.
Check it out.

.: Nick Ientash's The Pace | Canyon Chasers Motorcycle Sport Touring :.

It's not just brain ache but physical tiredness, when it's all new you're more tense which has an effect on your abilities/endurance, three deep breaths often makes you aware of how tense you are.

Hey thanks for this MickeyD, it's a great read!

I'm reading anything and everything I can get my hands on about how to be a good - and safe - motorcyclist, as I want to get into good habits from the very start. :smartass:

I've had some great basic training (thanks again, Ride-Tek guys in Melbourne!). But the real skill is actually reading the road and other road users, which is a combination of intuition and concentration, I think. At the moment, in my case, it's all about the latter (hence the "brain ache" and fatigue!) - but hopefully the former will come, the more I'm on the road.

Meantime, reading up on the best techniques for riding is really galvanizing my on-road experience - a good rider is an informed rider, no question!

Jeanie :mchappy:

Just had my first off :(
 

Well it was all going so well... and then I came off my bike coming back into my own garage!

To be fair, it was the "perfect storm" scenario for me to come off - a right-hand turn into a steep slope going down into my underground carpark. Just as I made the turn, there was a car coming up the slope the other way, leaving not much room between it and the wall to my right. As I tried not to hit the wall to my left or the oncoming car to my right, whilst going down the slope (and over a speed bump on the slope!), my brain overloaded, I lost control and fell sideways. :(

Luckily, I was going at such low speed, I wasn't hurt at all. Had a weird "slo- mo" moment as I fell, hinking "Wow, so this is what falling off a motorcycle really feels like!" Wasn't worried in the slightest about hurting myself!

Happily, a knight in shining armour helped me get the bike back up and down into the underground garage. Bad news is - the clutch housing has snapped in two, leaving the clutch lever dangling helplessly by the cables. I have no idea how this could have happened, as the bike fell to the right, not the left. :confused1:

Not upset about coming off the bike. VERY upset about how I'm going to get the clutch fixed so I can carry on riding asap and not get hung up on this little incident...

Jeanie :mchappy:

It's funny is that. Lots of people are afraid of falling off, and to some extent it's a good fear... but the reality is often different from what you imagine.

Road work is much more likely to result in injury, but slow speed stuff, where the bike isn't under any real power is the most likely place for a drop. It's the same in an of road situation, the fear of falling is worse than the fall itself - often, but not always, depends on lots of things.

They (the safety police) make a big thing about 'speed kills' but how many fighter pilots die just from going fast ? No speed is your friend, stopping quickly is the problem, its very difficult to fall or drop a bike at speed. Stopping quickly is the one to avoid!

Did you know that your body cannot survive a dead stop from anything over 30mph ? Your internal organs continue through your rib cage and into your shirt! A sobering thought when you are hurtling down the road, hence the previous advice, can you stop in the distance you can see to be clear?

Still we all have motorcycles for a reason, freedom. whoever you ask it pretty much comes down to some variation on freedom.

I hope you get your bike fixed, we learn from our mistakes, and you've picked up a lesson early on. Think about it, and how to avoid it in the future, practice practice practice, but most off all - enjoy.

:scooter:

Not upset about coming off the bike. VERY upset about how I'm going to get the clutch fixed so I can carry on riding asap and not get hung up on this little incident...

Jeanie :mchappy:[/quote]

That's a good attitude. No need for it to put you off, learn from it and move on..

Can you remember what you actually did wrong? Did you grab the front brake too hard? Had you got your balance right on leaving the turn before the ramp? Should you have stopped after the turn to assess if the ramp was clear before progressing? In other words, was it a 'reading the road' or control of the bike mistake that led to you laying it down? Try to figure this out and then you can work on that aspect of your riding.

Sounds as if the slope of the ramp, the fact that you were coming out of a turn, the speed bump (and the oncoming car!!) contributed to affect your slow speed control. Think back to the slow speed control part of your lessons - I bet it was all done on flat ground. Adding road undulations really changes how the bike and your balance and traction points work, so maybe you could practice slow speed control on undulating ground?

I cant offer up any advice on how to fix the clutch, but I'd recommend you try fixing it yourself, or at least watching the person who does so that you learn a bit about repair work.

There's a real sense of achievement to be had from repairing stuff. Anyways, you're OK and that is the main thing!

PS. some folk recommend having all the bolts on handlebar mounting brackets a little looser than normal. This way brake cylinders/wing mirrors/levers etc have a chance to spin around the bars rather than snapping in the event of an off.

If you can try to get off road, not extreme, just tracks and trails on a suitable bike you can learn a lot of bike control and gain a huge amount of confidence in your abilitys, it really does help with road riding.
We all have off days, that never changes no matter how many years in the saddle, although with time and experience they do become less.

Jeanie, one advantage you have over a lot of people new to motorcycling is that you are obviously eager to learn, which will translate into you becoming a far better rider than the "I've passed and now I know everything there is to know about riding" brigade. Continue to practice, continue to ask questions and continue to learn and you will be laughing.

One thing that may be worth while is trying to get hold of a book called 'Motorcycle Roadcraft: The Police Rider's Handbook to Better Motorcycling'. This is the system that forms the basis of Police Riders skills over here in the UK, and I can't think of a better system to try and emulate than this one, it really does show how a motorcycle should be ridden, explaining what riders should be thinking about to ride safely and what they should be aware of and so much more. It's this that forms the basis of what GasUp posted about back on page 1 of this thread.

Thinking about your riding, trying to implement the skills from the Roadcraft book and practicing the basics of bike control are about the best things that anyone can do to improve their riding. Even now after having first ridden over 20 years ago I still take time out (especially with a new to me bike) to practice the 'learner skills' of slow control on a nice empty car park.

DOH! Just realised as I skimmed through the rest of this thread, Gasup actually mentioned the book in his post, so at least half of this post was rather pointless! In my defence I am suffering from Man Flu* today though!



*or maybe just a sniffle, or then again it could be swine flu, it's just hard to tell :)

No bike for three weeks...
 

Thanks guys - as ever, your advice is gratefully received!

Stevied1969, I will definitely try and seek out that police riding book. Sounds like it will be really useful.

Meantime, the good news is I found the part needed to fix the clutch on my Marauder (handlebar clutch lever mount was broken in two!). Bad news is - it won't arrive for another two and half weeks!! Good news is I got the part at a discount price AND found a new buddy who will help me fix it to the bike for free!! Bad news is, no bike to ride for the next three weeks....

So what do motorcyclists do when their motorcycles are out of action?? Suddenly I'm staring down the barrel of the next two weekends not being able to go out riding... ::(:(

Jeanie :mchappy:

Do you not have any bike-breakers (apart from yourself!) anywhere near by? You don't always need the exact part, especially with things like controls, a lever assembly from another bike/model may get you going.
A start for your "spares carried" list
When refitting, slide a washer in the slot that clamps the perch to the bars, then you can tighten the clamping bolt tight and the lever should be able to move on the bars if pushed/crashed on. You don't want it too slack, just so it moves instead of breaking if banged.
Study why/how it happened and what you'd do differently next time

Sorry about your off and glad to hear you are OK.

While you are bikeless, get some reading in. The service manual for your bike, anything you can get on general bike stuff like a carb manual, try a bit of Ted Simon or the AMHB (dangerous, leads to wanting to go places). Design yourself a rear carrier of something. Clean the bike and do any bits that need doing like dropping the oil.

Having had a job where I was away from anything with two/three wheels for weeks at a time I can understand this is frustrating, but there are ways to feed the habit.

Oh, and go see all those friends, relatives that usually complain you'd rather be out riding than popping in to drink tea etc. Never hurts me to take the wife shopping while the bikes U/S :innocent:

Andy

Get drunk and smoke
:eek2:

Back on the road!
 

Hey guys,

Just wanted to say a heap of thank yous to you all, because I'm back on the road, yeeha!

oothef - brilliant advice about sourcing the part from a bike breakers - that's exactly what I did and I found the exact part I needed straight away!

garmei - thanks for recommending I fix the bike myself. I wasn't sure I could, but after a few long hours in the garage getting mucky with a toolkit, I did it!!

Just back from a Sunday morning ride and the clutch lever is absolutely fine. I would have had to wait another 2 weeks for the part from Suzuki if I hadn't done this.

Also had to face my "nemesis" - the scene of my "off". Kept my cool, and tackled the steep slope down into my garage completely under control this time. Admittedly there was nothing coming the other way - that would be the true test! - but my confidence is back up again, which is no bad thing!

Love the fact that the thought of being without my bike for 3 weeks spurred me into drastic action - and it#s paid off, yahoo!:D

Jeanie :mchappy:

Practice using the rear brake. Learn to lightly drag it in slow speed situations, use it very gently and learn the lock up point. Use it when doing tight circles and U turns. Stay OFF front brake. Lightly dragging rear brake allows very precise control of the bike and makes it easier to turn it tight.

At high speed, entering a corner, light application of the rear brake will reduce front end dive, settle the bike on its suspension and aid in slowing.
This especially good in wet or slippery conditions.

So many riders are not artful with the rear brake, don't really understand its importance. Learn this early on. You should be wearing out your rear brake pads long before the front ones.

Vision:
Where you LOOK is key. You Will Go Where you Look. Look up and through the corner. Or look to the gap ... not at the approaching car, tree, post or ditch. Practice and remind yourself of this every day.

Breath.
Don't hold your breath. Breath deep. Relax. Ride aware. Scan back and forth constantly. Ride Scared (Nick Ienatsch)

Couldn't agree more, absolutely 100% you should be doing this.

Couldn't agree less (sorry Mickey). Far better to get all your breaking done nice and early so you aren't touching the brakes at any point in a corner, especially not when entering one, turn in and then gently accelerate through the bend. Trailing the rear brake at turn in is OK if you are on a track (or off road) but that's purely to load up the front end for maximum grip as you turn in, on the road there is just no need for it.

That said if I miss understood and you just mean using the rear brake with the front while slowing down ready to enter the corner (while still travelling straight) then I 100% agree :)

What I'm suggesting is that when you brake for a corner, by using the rear brake lightly it means less front end dive. Front braking should be done in two stages, once gently to get the bike settled down, then again, harder.

The rear brake .... used carefully and gently ... helps reduce dive and aids in braking. Once you turn in, no brakes at all.

I'm not suggesting a novice trail brake through the Apex, but sometimes just a hint of rear brake coming up out of the corner can smooth throttle snatch as you transition back on the power. But this is a more advanced technique.

Also, consider riding down a VERY steep downhill Hairpin turn. (come to California to see lots of these types of roads) Like 200 degree type. Here, a bit of rear brake helps get the bike turned more easily. I'm talking at speeds in the 15 mph to 20 mph range on a 9% slope. I generally drag both brakes gently but with very little front brake through the corner.

Using the rear brake
 

Thanks guys,

So far I've hardly been using my rear brake at all. As a newbie rider, I'm still trying to work out what the difference is between front and back brakes and the rules for using them, both singly and together.

Also I'm not sure if my rear brake pedal is currently in the best position for my foot, as at present my foot naturally rests just underneath it and sometimes gets caught when I go to use it...:(

I have a feeling that not using the rear brake was what contributed to my off on the steep downward slope the other day? I was using only the front brake to control my speed (I was going very slowly at that point) - should I maybe have been using the rear one for more control??

Definitely need to practise more rear brake action, as you guys say...
Jeanie :mchappy:

Absolutely you should, as Mickey stated, slow control is all about the rear brake (well, not all, but a heck of a lot).

Using the front brake causes the front forks to compress, which in turn changes the balance of the bike, making it harder to control at slow speeds. Then when you release the front brake the forks spring back up, causing more loss of balance.

When you are travelling at speed the front brake does most of the braking (used with a mixture of rear brake too), but slow speed control should be all about the rear brake.

A good technique to practice is to simply ride in a straight line as slow as possible, try and keep your engine revs constant, at a little over tickover, then use the rear brake to control your speed, slipping the clutch a little to avoid the engine stalling as required. With practice you should be able to ride comfortably at walking pace in a nice straight line.

Pleased you've taken it on and come out top side, glad to be of help. Can't fault Mickey and steves advice, rear brake is best for slow control, and if you want to go really slow you have to slip the clutch whilst controlling the throttle, easy! The fact you've done what you've done tells me you'll soon have it sussed. If you're not confident/happy with what's happening, stop and re-assess, as Corporal Jones always said "Don't panic!" If you get in to riding fast I recommend stomping on the back brake a fraction before hitting the front whilst gritting teeth and buttocks, but it all comes with practice and experience. Keep on keeping on
You ought to look at your back brake, there's usually a bolt to adjust the position of the pedal + the brake rod adjustment so as you can get it in the best position (under your foot) so you can use it easily and automatically with minimal delay between thought and action, all controls should be set for easy (thoughtless) use.

Rear brake practise
 

Hey thanks for this rear brake enlightenment, guys! :thumbup1:

I'm going to adjust the rear brake position on my bike this weekend and then do some practice somewhere quiet to practise low-speed braking as you suggest.

As a newbie rider, I'm finding generally that I'm ok when the bike's moving at speed; it's when I'm going slow that it all gets to be more of a challenge. I think so far I've been missing the help that a rear brake can give you at low speed, and have a feeling that using the rear brake a lot more will "unlock" my ability to control the bike when going more slowly. Also, I've been shying away from roads that involve hill stops/starts, as I think maybe I need to master the rear brake use in order to help with those too??

Jeanie :mchappy:

Hi Jeanie, I was so glad to read about your 'off days' . I try to explain this to my husband who has ridden for 30 years and he looks at me blankly ! I noticed you posted that comment in July 2010, may i ask how you are going now ? I rode in my teens and have just started again, about to go for my restricted license but had a real off day last weekend (having two harleys pass me at around 160 k's in a notorious black spot didn't help) I'm thinking i need a bit more time. Any advice you can offer ? I am absolutely loving riding again and want to eliminate these negative days!!! Jen.

A lesser rider wouldn't have had the presence of mind to make the call to stop and call it a day.

This is extremely important and full credit to you for recognising this and stopping. Accidents happen when you are not fully concentrating on your riding and when emotions are clouding judgement.

Never fight the urge to stop, afterall it's not a race, motorcycling should be enjoyed.

Hey Jen,

Thanks for your post! Don't worry about the "off days" - I've discovered that these can happen to even the most experienced of riders, it's all just a state of mind! Some days it all comes together, and then other days it seems like the world's a bit off-kilter and it's all a real effort, eh?!

I got my L-plates in July and next weekend - exactly 5 months on - I'll be taking my full test. My mantra as a newbie rider has been practise, practise, practise - the more time I spend on the bike, the more comfortable and competent I become (notwithstanding those blasted off days, of course!).

The main thing is, I LOVE riding and even though I would say it still doesn't come "naturally" at the moment (I have to concentrate really hard sometimes!), the good days of riding far, far outweigh the bad. And you're always learning from those mistakes and blips, so in the end it all adds up to you being a better all-round rider, I think. I've learnt not to dwell on things and get despondent - just get back on the bike and ride!

I really hope I pass my test next weekend, as a lot of it is just confidence - and that sure would be a confidence boost!

Meantime...practice, practice, and more practice for me before next Sunday !!

Jeanie :mchappy:

Too right, 18 years riding from the North Cape to the Western Desert and a couple of weeks back I end up face down in a car park due to forgetting the disc lock (which I use every day) after work :blushing:

Best of luck with the test, you know you can do it :thumbup1:

Andy

I've not been riding long, maybe about 18 months, and have had this once or twice. There's seemingly no explanation, but I just told my riding buddy that my head wasn't in the right place and needed to go at a more sedate pace. I guess that we ride in all sorts of conditions and states of mind and knowing how your mind and body reacts in all of them is all part of the continuous learning process. I've since learnt that eating the right stuff at the right times before a long ride and staying hydrated make an enormous difference to being comfortable and alert on the bike.