Poor Machine Connection
As a human walks across uneven ground in the forest, there is a seamless operation between the eyes feeding the brain visual information, and the brain feeding the appropriate muscles pulses to traverse the terrain. Over the course of her life, a human will become intimately in tune with this type of motor functionality between her eyes and body. If a bear lunges out from a bush, she will instinctively jump back without having to consciously think about the threat or manually move her muscles to get out of the way. Identifying a hazard (bear), managing risk (looking to increase distance), and evading danger (jumping back), will happen instantly with no conscious thought involved. Similar reactions are also true for maintaining balance while you are walking through the forest. If your foot were to slip off the side of a rock, or a patch of ground gave way under your weight, your brain will sense the adverse condition and assess how to take corrective action to avoid falling down. The sensing of changing conditions underfoot, followed by a reflexive corrective action will also be carried out automatically without you having to think about it.
Our bodies are a part of us and, consequently, we are highly in tune with operating them. This is the level of connectivity you must strive for with your motorcycle. If you’re travelling through an intersection and a vehicle lunges out at from behind a Blindspot, being able to act instinctively can be the difference between life and death. Consciously having to think about how to control one’s motorcycle or having poorly developed technique leaves you in a vulnerable spot. Think back to the bear analogy. How would the scene end if a hiker had to jump clear from the bear, but hesitated while they thought about how to move their legs to accomplish the jump? What about if they went to jump, but had awful technique and fell onto the ground without going anywhere?
Obviously, the hiker stands no chance of avoiding the unexpected danger. The same can be said about a biker trying to avoid an unexpected vehicle (among many other types of threats). Reactions need to be automatic, precise, and in some cases instantaneous. A motorcycle rider should develop such a strong bond with his machine that it becomes a part of him. A talented operator does not merely control the machine, he becomes the machine. At this point the controls feel fused with your limbs. Power delivery, braking force, suspension load, stability, and traction are experienced directly by the operator as if it was happening to him personally rather than the machine that he rides. Fostering such a connection with the motorcycle paves the way to maximize Evasive Potential. Evasive Potential refers to the chance the rider has to avoid danger given current conditions (this concept will be explored more in later chapters). The higher the Evasive Potential, the higher the chances of survival.
As a new rider, you may be reading this with a touch of apprehension. If you are thinking it takes years of experience and practice to get this in sync with a motorcycle, you are right. However, you have to start somewhere and you can only build muscle memory so fast. Over time, the connection between human and machine will naturally grow. However, without deliberate practice, the rider always runs the risk of poorly developed skills, as well as, bad muscle memory habits. Time in the seat does not always translate to increases of skill, but deliberate practice always does. One of the main problems that places the new rider in danger is that there’s a disparity between the new rider’s motorcycle control, and the skill required for evasive manoeuvres which results in low Evasive Potential. Consequently, the new rider will have a lower chance of being able to avoid a dangerous situation should she encounter one.
The inability to avoid danger is a risk that must be eliminated as soon as possible. The entire second chapter, Operational Hazards, is geared towards understanding how the motorcycle functions and how to begin building a strong connection with it. There are sections outlining exercises that will build essential muscle memory as fast as possible. Drills might not be the most exciting way to ride a motorcycle, but the first time you miss a critical hazard, you’ll be grateful that you practised. Being in sync with your machine gives two distinct advantages: it gives the ability to make precise, critical reactions in emergency situations, and it cuts down on the attention needed to control the motorcycle. The less you have to pay attention to what’s going on underneath you, the more you can pay attention to what’s going on around you. Reflexive motorcycle operation is your second line of defence against danger. Hone muscle memory and keep it razor sharp.
Whisky Throttle
As a new motorcyclist with undeveloped muscle memory, you may find yourself in a situation where your bike is accelerating and you have frozen up, or have poor posture and cannot close the throttle. With the throttle tube being located on the right handle bar, new riders can accidentally open the throttle during instability, sometimes even wide open. This scenario is called Whisky Throttle, and there is an easy way to avoid it. Whisky Throttle will have the motorcycle accelerating wildly, seemingly with a mind of its own. The following advice is very useful for new riders; during emergencies, losing your balance, panicking and other adverse situations, pulling in the clutch will cut power to the rear tire to avoid the dreaded Whisky Throttle. Seasoned riders tend to have good clutch/throttle control and are less prone to freezing up or accidentally twisting the throttle (and if they do, they’ll pull in the clutch!). Steer clear of this terrifying experience by remembering; when in doubt, clutch it out.
